With or Without You
by Gottabeelove
Summary: Caroline isn't exactly thrilled when she wakes up on a plane half way to Italy with Klaus. Despite her anger, she decides to make the best of it. How often is she in Italy after all? Back in Mystic Falls the race for the cure is on, but at what cost?
1. Some Nights

**Chapter One – Some Nights**

_Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck  
Some nights, I call it a draw  
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle  
Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off  
But I still wake up, I still see your ghost  
Oh Lord I'm still not sure what I stand for._

"Not having second thoughts, are you, Stefan?" Klaus asked as they walked up the steps to the private tarmac his plane was sitting on, waiting to taxi. Compulsion was great, but sometimes money worked as well. Once inside, he watched as Stefan gently set the incapacitated blonde down in one of the seats with great trepidation.

"She's going to hate me when she wakes up," Stefan said, tucking a curl behind Caroline's ear as her body slumped into the plane seat. The regret was evident in his face, but he had his own reasons for doing this. Caroline would benefit from this trip as much as he would. "You promise nothing is going to happen to her while you are gone?" he asked, his eyes not leaving her.

"She doesn't have to remember you were the one who did this if you'd like," Klaus offered up, a smirk present on his lips as his hands remained clasped behind his back. "You said it yourself, with Connor's miraculous escape, Caroline being gone is one less person for you to protect. You've got enough on your plate with the newborn doppelganger, her brother, your brother." He reached a hand over and buckled Caroline's seatbelt for her under Stefan's watchful eye. "Besides, she's been putting so much energy into avoiding Tyler since his missteps with the werewolf came to light-"

"Since you arranged for her to catch them in the act," Stefan cut in.

Klaus shrugged his shoulders, "Details," he said dismissively, "It will be a much needed break for her. No one regrets Italy. Give her a day, she'll be quite happy with her surroundings. Now if you'll excuse me. The plane needs to get in the air and unless you've decided to make this a threesome, you'd better be on your way." He motioned for Stefan to leave, watching him do so reluctantly before leaning back into the remaining seat in the cabin.

The majority of the flight was quiet. Klaus found that his sketch pad and Caroline's sleeping form was providing all of the entertainment he needed on the international flight. He was used to sketching from memory, having her there in person made things much easier for him. He expected her to wake earlier, but that didn't stop the smirk from forming on his lips when she began to stir. He set his pad and pencil aside and turned to watch her, "Morning, Love."

Her eyes shot open, a hand curling around the back of her neck, trying to rub away the soreness from the break that Stefan had issued earlier. She was so going to get him back for that later. She took a moment to take in her surroundings, cursing under her breath when she realized they were on a plane. There was no simple escape route. For a moment, she briefly considered jumping, but decided even the temporary pain wasn't worth it. She was stuck for the time being. She sat up straight in her seat before turning towards Klaus. "Where are we? Where is Stefan?"

"I would say we just passed the midway point on the Atlantic, give or take a few miles. Stefan is most likely attending to Elena back in Mystic Falls, unless Damon has tricked her into believing he's the better choice. Either way, I suspect his hands are full." He stood from his chair and walked over to the ice chest on the opposing side of the cabin. He pulled a blood bag from it and handed it to Caroline. "I know coming back from the dead must be exhausting."

She took it without much hesitation, her eyes never leaving him as if he would try something the moment she looked away. "So where are we going?" She asked, unbuckling her seat belt and getting more comfortable. "Please tell me you didn't convince Stefan to break my neck just so you didn't have to eat baguettes by yourself at the Eiffel Tower?" she asked as she fussed with the tubing on the blood bag until it acted as a straw.

"That was not part of the plan, Sweetheart, but if you'd like to make a stopover in Paris, I'm sure that can be arranged."

"Where are we going?" She asked again, more firmly this time. She didn't want to dance around it. If he was going to force her to tag along on this little adventure then the least he could do was keep her informed

"Italy. I have some business to attend to, I thought you might enjoy accompanying me. Get out of Mystic Falls for a few days. It might be slightly easier for you to avoid my hybrid with an ocean in between you."

Her eyes flickered with excitement for just a moment before she masked it, but Klaus caught it before she pushed it aside. That flicker was all he needed to know the battle wouldn't be completely uphill. "And what business would that be?" She crossed her arms over her chest once the blood bag was finished.

"In due time, Sweetheart. Just enjoy the ride. We should be landing in a matter of hours."

The remainder of their flight was quiet. Neither wanting to break the delicate silence they had fallen into, but it appeared the spell was broken when they landed in Florence.

"I sincerely hope you booked up separate rooms because there is no way in hell I am sleeping in the same hotel room as you. I cannot believe I am even here. I should really march back to that ticket counter and compel myself a seat on the first plane back to Mystic Falls. I don't even have any clothes. What am I supposed to wear while we're here?" She rambled until he hailed a cab outside the airport and motioned for her to get inside.

"I own a home here so a hotel room would be quite unnecessary. There are many rooms for you to choose from. You are more than welcome to ask for a plane ticket back to the states, but I think you will find that they are all unfortunately booked to capacity," he told her instructing the driver where to take them. "I would much prefer you wear nothing at all, but I believe Rebekah's clothing would suit your needs while we are in Italy if you would prefer."

"Ass." He heard her mumble under her breath. He only responded with a smirk and settled into his seat for the remainder of the ride through the country side.

He pretended not to notice Caroline's reaction when they pulled up to the large Tuscan estate. She marveled out the window at the sprawling grounds and the grand arches and pillars. The stone covered complex was perched atop a hill, offering a complete view of the city below and Caroline was certain she had never seen something so painfully beautiful in her life.

When she realized she was staring, Caroline cleared her throat and glanced back over at Klaus, "Well at least the house isn't a dump." She pulled open the car door, not waiting for Klaus as she walked towards the front door and walked inside.

By the time he got inside, Caroline had disappeared within the depths of the house and he allowed her to. She needed to feel like she had control over the situation and he had business he needed to attend to. Had he been alone, he simply would have found the location in the woods, retrieved the sword, and returned to Mystic Falls, but Caroline's presence made the trip much more than one of business. They only had a few days here and he intended on showing her what Italy had to offer. First things, first, the sword.

It didn't take him long to find it. Rebekah had been quite forthcoming to Stefan on the location of the burial site. The body was nearly completely decayed, but the sword was very much intact. With that out of the way he could focus on more pressing matters. Caroline to be more specific. Under any other circumstances, he would have sent someone else to do his dirty work, but this matter was a bit more delicate. The less people who knew of the swords existence, the better. It was nearly dark by the time he returned to the manor, caked with dirt from a day spent digging. He was quite surprised when he was met by a frustrated looking Caroline standing at the top of the staircase, towel wrapped tightly around her petite frame.

"I would have been home sooner if I knew this was the welcome that awaited me."

She glared, "You forgot to mention that none of Rebekah's clothes are from this century."

"Ah yes, Rebekah was in a box from 1929 until just a few months ago. The clothing in this house might be slightly out of date. You are an industrious young woman. I trust you can come up with something." He leaned over pulling off the mud coated boots and glancing back up at her. "And you better do it quickly, we have dinner reservations in an hour." He walked up the stairs towards her.

"We? What makes you think I'm leaving this house with you? You already kidnapped me and brought me to another country. Now you want me to play honeymoon with you?"

"Now that's the spirit. Playing honeymoon sounds lovely," his lips curled into a smirk as he began peeling the soiled Henley from his body, before starting on his belt buckle. "If it's games you're into there's no reason to leave the house." He raised his eyebrow suggestively.

She deadpanned, "I'll be ready in a half an hour." Dinner with Klaus wasn't an ideal way to spend her evening, but it was better than sitting around this house listening to him try to flirt with him. She turned on her heel and headed back to the bedroom she had found Rebekah's clothes in earlier that evening. There wasn't much to work with. Even with Klaus around, she didn't wish to be buttoned up to her neck, but she wasn't about to don a corset either. Feeding into whatever sick fantasy he had in mind for this weekend was not part of her plan. If she couldn't get home, she was going to take advantage of her time in Italy.

She was halfway through tearing the sleeves off one of Rebekah's dresses to update it into this century when her phone began to sing "Some Nights" from within her purse. She had gotten so wrapped up in the idea of being in Italy, she had nearly forgotten that there were probably people back in Mystic Falls wondering where she was. Fishing the phone from the depths of the bag, she brushed her thumb across the screen to answer.

"Hello?" She questioned, pulling it away from her face enough to see Elena's name on the screen before pressing it back to her ear.

"Where are you?" Elena demanded, but Caroline could hear the worried undertones. "I've been trying to call you all day. Your mom is worried."

Caroline bit her lip, looking down at the shredded dress in her. "I'm fine. Tell her I'm fine." She said, battling with guilt over giving into the idea of enjoying Italy while she was there. She had probably given her mother a heart attack disappearing like that with a hunter on the loose. She had just told her she was hanging out with Stefan, but that had been nearly twelve hours ago.

"Where are you, Caroline?" Elena persisted.

Caroline took a deep breath, knowing she was going to have to get this all out in one breath if she was going to keep Elena from jumping to conclusions. "I'm in Italy with Klaus. He sort of kidnapped me, I guess. He had some business to take care of here, but he won't tell me what it is. I'm not quite sure what's going on, but everything is going to be okay. He said we'll be home in a few days so just try not to worry." She closed her eyes tightly, hoping for the best reaction possible from Elena, though she wasn't sure what that was.

"Klaus kidnapped you and left the country and you are telling me not to worry?"

"Really, I'm okay, Elena. I promise. He said we'll be home in a few days so I'm just going to try to make the most of it. He compelled all the seats on all the planes going home for the next few days so it's not like I have much of a choice." She sighed. "I'll find out what he's up to and let you know."

"So you are totally okay with the fact that he kidnapped you? Bonnie is going to have a field day with this."

"Can we just leave Bonnie out of this?" she asked hesitantly. "And no I'm not totally cool with it, but there's nothing I can do. It's a few days. I'll live. Besides, I've never been outside of Virginia and I'm in Italy right now. Why not enjoy it on Klaus's dime?" she gave a small laugh, looking around the room.

"Care, does this have anything to do with what happened with Hayley and Tyler? I'm worried about you."

"No," Caroline replied quickly. She couldn't deal with Tyler right now, even the idea of him. The betrayal was still fresh in her mind and she couldn't afford to crumble right now. She needed to focus, get through the next few days. Once she got home she could cry on the couch with Elena to their hearts content. Right now, Tyler didn't exist.

"Really? Do you need to talk about it? I know I've been kind of busy with vampire stuff, but Tyler cheating on you is no reason to go running to Klaus."

Caroline huffed into the phone, "Really. I'm fine. I need to go. I have to find something wearable. Tell my mom I'm fine and not to worry. I'll be home in a few days, I love you!" She hung up the phone call before Elena could respond. The conversation had only increased her resolve. She was going to enjoy herself while she was here. Tyler did not exist. Klaus might not have been the greatest company in the world, but it was Italy and she was going to see what it had to offer.

More determined than before, she turned her attention back to the pile of fabric in her lap. Once she was done, she held up the red dress she had refashioned into something resembling a wrap dress. Diane Von Furstenberg would have been proud. She would make sure to pick up a few things to make it through the weekend, but it would to for tonight. She tightened the tie on the dress, ensuring that it would not come loose before stepping into the heels she had been wearing on the plane. She checked her appearance in the mirror once more before letting out a small laugh, wondering why she cared so much about what she looked like when she was about to have dinner with the devil.


	2. It's About Time

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews. I just wanted to address a few things that you guys asked about. The five will be involved (at least my version of them since we don't know a lot about them yet) as will the rest of the gang from Mystic Falls. There are some things I will follow with the show and some ways I'll deviate from. I already have the story mapped out, but I will tweak things as I go. **

**Chapter Two – It's About Time**

_It's almost over and it's running through his head,  
They don't know me, they don't know more than I show,_**  
**_She's walking up to him so slowly,  
It's about time, it's about time to fly away, but wait  
This one is different cause she's lonely  
Fold your wings, you'll need them more one day_

Caroline let out a sigh as her phone rang in her purse once again. She was not avoiding Elena's calls per se, but she was a big girl. She could take care of herself and as terrible as Klaus could be, she knew this was probably the safest place she could be. For whatever reason, he was interested in her and he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Listening to Elena and no doubt Bonnie ramble on about how this was not a healthy way to forget Tyler was the last thing she wanted to do. She wasn't rebounding with Klaus; she was simply making the best of a bad situation.

She watched the iPhone screen as it changed from announcing a new text from Elena to a phone call from Bonnie before her ears picked up a new sound. Peeking out the window, she watched as a car pulled up in front of the home. Her hour must have been up. She glanced down at the phone one more time, biting her lip. "_We are never ever ever getting back together. Weeeeeee-"_ As Tyler's name flashed across the screen, she made her decision. She turned her phone off, shoving it back down in her purse before standing from the bed and making her way down the staircase.

Klaus was standing in a pair of dark jeans and t-shirt, suit jacket haphazardly pulled over his shoulders as he waited for her at the bottom of the staircase. It was a stark contrast from the mud-covered version that had greeted her earlier. She watched as his eyes appraised her appearance, shooting him a warning look.

"This is not a date," she told him as she walked past him towards the car that was waiting out front.

Klaus held his hands up innocently, "I merely suggested dinner, you are the one jumping to conclusions." Following behind her, he slipped into the backseat next to her. "You do look ravishing by the way, Love."

"Not a date," Caroline said once again, raising an eyebrow as she settled into her seat. "But thank you. You didn't leave me with a whole lot of options given Rebekah's clothing being from the 1800s and all."

"You are very welcome. I didn't realize compliments were exclusive to dating." He raised an eyebrow as the car pulled out of the private way and began making its way into the city. "I believe now it would be fair game considering you are no longer spoken for."

Caroline looked at him, her eyes flickering with a myriad of emotions before settling on a look of thinly veiled sadness. "Can we not talk about Tyler? Please?" she asked, her voice much softer than it had been before. The argumentative tone gone, replaced with the simple plea.

He watched as she blinked rapidly, turning into the window to watch the buildings passing them by. "Of course, Caroline." He turned towards his own window. He wanted to say something but he thought better of it, it seemed kinder to pretend he didn't see the tears. "For what it's worth," he started, "Tyler is a fool to make this kind of lapse in judgement. Hayley doesn't have anything on you, Sweetheart."

Caroline flinched when he said Hayley's name, but she didn't say anything. The cheating hurt, it hurt like hell, but it wasn't the worst part. She had offered to be there, she had begged Tyler to let her help him through this and he turned her down every time. She had told herself he was just trying to keep her out of harm's way, but there was more to it than that. She knew now. It was the emotional betrayal that hurt like nothing she had ever experienced before. She had been there for Tyler in his weakest and darkest moments, but she was replaceable. She was always replaceable. Tyler had Hayley. Elena and Bonnie had each other. All the insecurities she had gotten past and left behind rushed back and she felt like all she could to was fight to keep her head above water. The lump in her throat seemed to suffocate her, but she held herself together, focusing on the city passing by outside the windows before the car inevitably came to a stop in front of a small outdoor restaurant. The driver opened the door and Klaus slid out of the car before reaching a hand down to help her out.

"I just need a minute," she said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. She needed to get a handle on herself. She had already given herself a day to cry and be sad; falling apart again in front of Klaus was not an option. He gave a simple nod and closed the door, giving Caroline her moment of peace. She ran her hands over her face, carefully wiping the wet tears from under her eyes without smearing her eyeliner. She took in her appearance, looking in the mirror, taking a deep breath. "You are better than this, Caroline," she told herself firmly. "You are not going to let a boy ruin Italy for you."

Klaus watched the car carefully, waiting for any sign of movement from it. Her "moment", as she had called it, was lasting much longer than he had anticipated. He drummed his fingers against the table impatiently as he wondered whether she was trying to flee. She was stubborn, he knew that much, even after telling her all of the flights were full, he wondered if she would try to find another way. His jaw tightened at that thought, his patience wearing unbearably thin. Pushing himself up from the table, he strode towards the car just as the door popped open and Caroline emerged.

She took one look at him and scoffed, "Couldn't even give me five minutes."

"I thought perhaps you were trying to escape this dinner," he told her taking a defensive tone.

"I'm here, I'm dressed. If I was trying to escape this dinner, I wouldn't have gotten in the car," she pointed out, one hand resting on her hip. "You've got to trust me a little."

All the vulnerability Caroline had shown Klaus a few moments ago was gone. Her words gave him pause, he did not simply dole out trust, even to Caroline. "Shall we then?" he asked, holding his arm out to her. She reluctantly took it before following him into the restaurant to the table. He pulled her chair out for her before taking his own and reaching for the bottle of wine and pouring them both a glass.

Caroline reached for her glass immediately, taking a healthy sip before looking up at her dinner companion. "So are you going to tell me why we're in Italy now or am I going to have to figure that out all on my own?" she asked, swirling the deep red liquid in the glass.

He flashed her a sidways smile, "Not just yet." He reached for his own glass. "Just think of it as a brief vacation from Mystic Falls. A very successful one," he said as he brought the glass to his lips.

"Does this have something to do with how disgustingly dirty you were when you came in today?"

"Possibly. You seemed to enjoy taking in the sight."

"You were covered in mud and you started stripping."

"And you aren't denying that you enjoyed it."

Caroline responded by peeling open the front of her menu and sighed. The entire menu was in Italian and her one year of high school French was not going to do her much good in Italy. Her brows knitted together, trying to piece together and guess on enough of the words to place an order. She did recognize a few. Spending a bit of time with Stefan and Damon, matched with her passion for the food network had lent itself to her knowing quite a few pasta dishes, some of which were on the menu thankfully.

When the waiter finally came, Caroline set down the menu she has been using as a shield to ward away unwanted eye contact. She placed her finger on the item she had chosen before taking a stab at pronouncing it. "Rigatoni alla carbonara? Is that right?" she asked slowly before looking up at the waiter for approval.

"Si, yes. Molto buona, dolce cuore," he nodded in approval, flashing Caroline a smile, which she returned.

"Avro la stessa," Klaus spoke, ordering the same thing as Caroline in a low growl. He was already contemplating whether or not he would drain the boy before or after he brought them their food. He watched the young man walk away before Caroline drew his attention back to him.

"He was being nice, would you relax?" She crossed her arms over her chest as she stared across the table at him with a look of clear disapproval.

"I don't like seeing people look at you like a piece of meat."

"I don't really think you are in a position to choose how people get to look at me," she challenged.

"Says the kidnap victim."

Caroline sighed. She had forgotten that was the situation for the briefest of moments. Not that she would have willingly come on a trip with Klaus, but it was easy to forget the circumstances in which she arrived when she was sitting on in a beautiful square in the heart of Florence. "You are going to be waiting a long time if you are waiting for Stockholm Syndrome to kick in."

"I'm a patient man," he said.

Caroline's expression changed to one of confusion. "I thought we were only going to be here for a few days."

"We are. I will have you back in your bed in a matter of days." The smirk formed on his lips almost instantaneously. "But we're vampires, I have an unlimited number of lifetimes to show you how much I have to offer."

"Maybe you could take one of them and learn some manners. It's not nice to snap someone's neck and put them on an airplane."

"Ah, but it was Stefan who did that part for me."

"Remind me to kill him later." Her expression hardened slightly, finishing the rest of the wine in her glass.

"Don't be too hard on him. He had a very good reason for doing what I asked. You might even say it was his idea." Klaus took this opportunity to refill her wine glass, glancing up at her to see his comment sinking in. Turning her against Stefan wouldn't do any of them any favors considering how delicate the situation would be once they got back to Mystic Falls, but it was nice to see her anger directed at someone else for the time being.

"Why would he do that?" she asked, not bothering to acknowledge the waiter when he came to drop off the food.

"Let's just say Stefan and I have a mutual interest in the reason I'm here. Having you out of town means one less person for him to be concerned about when the hunter decides to show his face again. It was really in your best interest, Love. With a Salvatore on each of the doppelganger's arms, who would have come to your rescue should something have happened to you?" he explained and much to Caroline's chagrin, he was at least partially right.

"I can take care of myself," she was quick to point out, holding her head up strong.

"Oh I don't doubt that for a moment, Caroline, but this is a little beyond strength and force of will. Besides, you were needed elsewhere. Italy suites you."

"Don't pretend I'm here for any reason other than you not wanting to be alone."

"You would be surprised." He raised a lowered his eyebrows before dropping the matter entirely and moving onto a lighter subject. He couldn't share his entire plan with Caroline, not just yet. She would play a bigger part than she knew, but for now, she would have to remain in the dark. "So what would you like to do tomorrow?"

"You mean you aren't planning on rolling around in the mud again?" she asked, twirling her pasta around her fork before cutting it.

"That was not my intention, no." He shook his head, "I thought since you have never been to Florence before, you would like to see some of the sights. It's a big city to experience in such a short period of time, it would be a crime if we did not make sure you took in as much of it as possible."

"Well, I would like to start with getting some clothes from this century." She took a bite, swallowing before she looked up at him once again. "Blood would probably be helpful," she added. "And I suppose I wouldn't mind going to some of the pretty churches and museums, if we are here."

"I think that can be arranged."

Once they got back to the manor, Caroline retreated back into her room and retrieved her cellphone. Turning it on, she scrolled past all of the missed calls and found Stefan's name. She pressed it to her ear, waiting for him to answer.

"Caroline-"

"You suck," she told him when he answered.

"I know, but I had a good-"

"You had a good reason for snapping my neck? Because I'd really love to hear that one," she interrupted him again. "You are so lucky I'm in Italy and it's pretty, but don't think do a second, I'm not going to kill you when I get home."

"There's a lot more going on than you realize, Caroline," Stefan tried to defend himself.

"Well, then please enlighten me because I'm sick of people telling me that and not giving me any answers." She slipped off her heels and took a seat on the bed. "I just want to know why the hell I'm here."

"It's important. You are just going to have to trust me on this one. Do you think you can do that?"

"Well, I would have said yes, but then I woke up on a plane over the ocean with Klaus," she snapped.

"Just trust me, Care. I wouldn't have done this if there was another way, someone had to go with him and I had to stay here. You are the only person I knew he wouldn't kill if he got mad. Just enjoy yourself, you are in Italy. If he doesn't bring you back in a day or two, I will come get you, okay?"

"Fine, but you owe me for this. So much and you are paying my phone bill this month," she huffed, "And go talk to my mother and tell her what's going on, because she's called me fifteen times and I don't know how to explain any of this to her."

"I will. Just make sure you watch what happens. There's a reason you are there, Caroline," he said once again as if trying to make sure it sunk in.

"I understand and if you aren't going to tell me what that reason is, then stop saying there's a reason," she grumbled. "I will see you in a few days." She sighed before hanging up the phone and setting it down next to the bed. She laid back against the pillows, thinking about what Stefan had said. What exactly was she supposed to be watching for?

**A/N: Hi so I'm so glad you guys like this story! I'm really excited about it. As always, reviews are like crack so please keep them coming! **

**Just a little clarification on the Italian as well. **

"**Si, yes. Molto buona, dolce cuore" – "Yes, yes. Very good, sweetheart."**

"**Avro la stessa" – "I'll have the same."**


	3. The Beacon

**Chapter Three – The Beacon**

_Burning Beacon in the night  
Can't feel its heat or see its light  
That single solitary guide, it must get lonely there sometimes_

Caroline growled, pulling the pillow over her head harder, folding it over her ears and pressing hard. Nothing she did managed to drown out the noise. Of course, Klaus couldn't just sleep like a normal person. He spoke in his sleep or mumbled rather. Caroline couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but it was low and constant and she could not tune it out enough to fall asleep. His bedroom could not have been further from his, but it still didn't help, vampire hearing had its downsides. Flinging the pillow off, she looked over at the clock. 1:05. She had been lying there for three hours and gotten nowhere in the sleep department. If she was going to make it through an entire day with Klaus and not kill someone, she was going to sleep at least a little. She grabbed the pillow and the comforter off the bed and begrudgingly headed down the stairs. Maybe with a floor between them it would be enough to kill the noise. She dropped the down on the couch, pulling the covers over her head and hoping for the best. She could still hear him faintly, but it wasn't loud enough to keep her awake. Her thoughts, however, were. Once it was quiet enough to hear herself think, she couldn't stop. Stefan's words rang through her head. What exactly was she supposed to be watching for? It didn't seem very productive for him to tell her to do something, but not how. It only managed to frustrate her more.

Caroline was born an overachiever. Any task she was given, even as a child, was done to perfection. Her macaroni picture frames were always straight. Her science fair projects were always accurate. Her GPA had been a solid 4.0 since the first day of high school and when someone trusted her with something, she followed through. If Stefan had even given her an inkling of what she was supposed to be looking for, she could have a report bound and collated on in his hands by Monday morning, but he hadn't. What did he think Klaus was going to do? Kill orphans? Start an army of vampires? Attempt to bring Mussolini back from the dead? Her texts requesting more information from Stefan either went unanswered or returned with vague replies that mostly caused more questions and answered nothing. Stefan wanted Caroline to make sure Klaus was doing what he was supposed to be doing, but since she had no idea what that was, she couldn't answer that question. Finally, just a few minutes after three, Caroline's thoughts exhausted her enough to fall asleep.

"Considering there are twelve bedrooms in this compound, I can't say this is exactly where I thought I would find you this morning. It is creative though, I will give you that, though comfort may be an issue."

Caroline opened one eye, a mess of blonde curls obscuring her view as she attempted to find the source of the words. At some point during the night she had wound up on the floor in the sitting room rather than the couch she remembered falling asleep on and even her vampire body was feeling sore due to an evening on the hard floor. She rolled over and looked up at Klaus who was standing over her wearing an amused expression and holding a coffee cup in each hand. "Coffee first, words later," she grumbled, running her fingers through her messy blonde curls as she sat up the comforter from the bed upstairs still wrapped around her shoulders as she reached for the cup in his hands.

"Not that I don't appreciate the morning show," Klaus said as he watched her stand up and straighten out her body, "but is there a reason for the relocation? Bed not sufficient?" He handed her one of the cups, watching as she brought it to her lips greedily.

"You talk in your sleep." She took another sip from the cup, hugging the blanket around herself tighter with her free hand, "It wasn't even intelligible. You just mumble," she complained, grabbing the pillow as she prepared to go back upstairs so she could shower and find something to wear.

Klaus gave her a bewildered look before shaking it off and walking towards the door. He came back with a bag and handed it to Caroline. "Made a friend this morning while you were unconscious, and snoring I might add. This might help."

"I do not snore," she snapped before taking the bag and peeking inside to find what looked like a pair of jeans, a few tops, and perhaps a dress. She looked back up at him, fighting the urge to say thank you until she saw the blood in the corner of his lip. "Did you eat your friend?"

"What can I say? I like to play with my food." He shrugged his shoulders, "She's still alive and safely at home if that makes you feel any better."

"People are friends, not food."

He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Right, I don't know why I thought you'd get that reference." She shook her head before raising her hands, "I'm going to get dressed." She headed up the stairs, bag in one hand and coffee in the other. Once she was in her room, she dumped the bag out. While the woman's taste in men may have been revolting, her taste in clothing was not. Caroline pulled aside a cotton dress with an empire waist before tucking the rest of the clothes back in the bag.

After a long shower, Caroline wandered down to the kitchen, thankful to find the fridge fully stocked with blood bags. She leafed through them before finding one of the bags labeled B+ and pulled it out. She poured it into a coffee up from the cabinet and popped it in the microwave.

"Italians aren't nearly as vigilant about their blood banks as Americans. Compulsion wasn't even necessary when I visited the Red Cross this morning."

"Do you sleep?" she asked, wondering how long he had been up for considering how much he had already gotten done for ten am. She pulled her cup from the microwave and brought it to her lips, the veins under her eyes rippling in desire as the rich liquid hit her tongue. It was all so domestic. While the ease of it unsettled her, she was glad he wasn't going out of his way to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Not much, no."

She looked over at him, their eyes connecting for the briefest of seconds. Studying his face, she searched for something, but she wasn't sure she knew what she was looking for. An explanation, a reason, a shred of humanity. She wasn't sure, but the moment he realized what she was doing, he looked away. She brought her mug to her lips once again.

"We need to go," he said abruptly. "Lots to see, so little time. Luckily for you, museums are my area of expertise."

Caroline nodded, finishing the blood in her mug before setting it in the sink. It wasn't long before she found herself wandering down one of the long corridors at the Uffizi Gallery. They seemed to trail for miles and high school art classes didn't teach her anything about what was hanging in front of her. She recognized a few of the names, but most were lost on her. Even if she recognized the names, she didn't know the difference between Raphael and Francesca. They were beautiful all the same. Caroline marveled at it all. Klaus, on the other hand, seemed to know everything about every painting in the building. He went on and on about _The Battle of San Romano_ before moving onto the _Arrotino_ all while following Caroline around and guiding her from room to room. She found she actually enjoyed listening to him talk about something with such passion, something that wasn't his hybrids or killing someone. It was easy to forget that he was a mass murderer when his eyes lit up as he spoke about getting drunk with Botticelli the evening he finished _The Birth of Venus._

"It was quite the task, you know," he spoke, his hands clasped behind his back as they stood side by side looking up at the painting. "He had to paint it from memory. Modeled Venus after Simonetta Vespucci. He was in love with her, but she had passed about ten years before."

"Must have been hard on him, losing his wife?" Caroline asked, her eyes studying the painting.

"No, no they weren't married. In fact, he never told her he loved her. She was married to another man. Botticelli said he didn't believe in marriage, but he simply never loved another like her. His dying wish was to be buried at her feet. Thirty-five years later and still in love with a woman he never had."

"That's romantic," she said, looking over at him.

"That's foolish," he replied, his eyes finally leaving the painting and meeting hers. "What good is love if it isn't returned?"

"What good is life without the possibility?" She countered.

He raised his eyebrow for a moment. The look in her eye was unnerving, both challenging and confusing along with something else he couldn't quite place. He couldn't understand how she could be so hopeful in the face of betrayal, but he didn't question it. She could have her hope if that got her through the day. He was older, he knew better. A thousand years had given him nothing, but regret and loss and longing for things he would never have. Things he couldn't have because of his shortcomings. Instead he had hybrids, or at least he did. That thought reminded him why he was here in the first place. Getting the sword to find the cure. Then he could resume his hybrid business.

He motioned towards the painting, "The _real_ painting is hanging in my home in Chicago. Nicked it years ago, I painted this one." He winked before turning on his heel to begin down the hallway once again.

Caroline rolled her eyes before walking in the other direction. She knew he expected her to follow behind him like a puppy, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. She could navigate the gallery by herself. She didn't need to hear him talk about how pointless love was. It didn't matter what happened to her with Tyler or Matt or Damon or anyone else, Caroline would always believe in love. She was seated in front of a large painting that depicted Perseus saving Andromeda from the sea monster when Klaus finally caught up with her.

"On to the next," he said, his tone suggesting annoyance. Probably from Caroline walking off on her own and not following him.

"Just a minute," she said, still lost in thought as she studied the painting. It was easily her favorite of the day. Greek mythology had been her English elective the semester before and something about it had stuck with her.

"What is it about this one that peaks your interest?" he asked curiously, the annoyance in his voice fading away at the chance to discuss more art despite the fact that they had been doing it all day. He studied it for a moment before raising an eyebrow, finding nothing remarkable about it. He was vaguely familiar with the artist, but he wasn't particularly memorable.

"It's not the painting. It's the story," she told him, looking over at him as his eyes urged her to go on. "Andromeda's mother Cassiopeia was being punished for boasting to the gods. Poseidon sent a sea monster to the kingdom and her father chained her to a rock in the sea as a sacrifice to appease the monster. She was tethered, stuck for a crime she didn't commit with no hope of escape until Perseus came along and saved her. Married her on the spot. And don't give me the love doesn't exist excuses. He loved her the second he saw her."

"I didn't take you for someone who would enjoy Greek Mythology."

"Well, despite what you think you know about me, you don't really know anything at all." She stood from the bench. "So the next museum?"

"On second thought, I think a bit of wandering is in order. No more museums. This one was enough."

"We haven't even seen the David yet," Caroline stated incredulously.

"You've seen the David a million times in pictures and books. There is nothing it can do for you to see it in person. Take a moment and enjoy what the city has to offer without worrying about following a guide book or an itinerary."

She eyed him skeptically.

"If you want to continue your tour of every museum in the city, I'll be happy to accompany you," he said.

She probably could have used a little time alone considering he had been by her side every waking moment since they got to Italy aside from when he disappeared into the mud, but he had a point. There wasn't much she understood about the museums other than a beauty and she could look at that any time. She wanted to feel the city and she wouldn't get that standing in front of a painting.

"So where exactly are we _wandering_ to?" she asked as they two of them slipped past the museum doors and onto the cobblestone streets. She said the word like it was foreign to her and Klaus had to wonder if it was. She was always planning something for school or the town, he guessed that was the way she felt about the rest of her life as well. He watched the uncomfortable look on her face as she tried to look around, deciding which way to go or letting him do the deciding. For as fiercely independent as she fought to be seen, her hesitation at every crossroad was strange to him.

"Nowhere in particular. Just take in the architecture. You've just spent four hours inside a museum in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The scenery outside is just as beautiful as what the building holds. Relax, love."

She shot him a look, "I am relaxed."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, instead he smirked and continued walking.

"Alright maybe I'm not relaxed," she conceded, "but where are we going?"

"We're just walking. Nowhere in particular."

"We have to be walking towards something."

"Why?" he asked, her determination peaking his interest.

"Because that's not how it works."

"You are incapable of relaxing, aren't you?" he asked, his amusement growing.

She glared at him, "I'm a neurotic, control freak." She shook her head. "I'm trying," she finally said after a long pause, her shoulders dropping. "You don't know how strange this all is for me." She shook her head, looking over at him before focusing back on the road in front of her. "I mean, two days ago, I was sitting in my room crying over Tyler and now I'm in Italy, for what reason, no one will tell me and I am with you of all people."

His lip twitched in annoyance when she made a point to throw him into the mix. He opened his mouth to say something, but she seemed to continue on with her thought.

"And I'm actually enjoying myself." She said barely above a whisper. A nervous chuckle fell from her lips as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever said. "And I still want to know why we're here," she made clear, crossing her arms over her chest as she pulled her jacket tighter.

They remained in silence for a few moments. The words sinking in with them both. She was enjoying herself. She was enjoying herself _with him._ She felt conflicted. How could she even let herself be in this situation? He was _Klaus_ for heaven's sake. The same Klaus that killed Jenna. The same Klaus who sired her now ex-boyfriend. _And the same Klaus who saved her life the night she wanted to let herself succumb to the pain and hopelessness she felt after Tyler's werewolf bite._ Why couldn't he just be good or evil? She knew he was evil, but he wasn't evil towards her and that only proved to confuse her more. "Maybe we should head back to the house," she suggested. She needed to get away from him, escape to her room. Perhaps call and yell at Stefan some more for putting her in this situation in the first place.

"I have one more place I'd like to show you first."

**A/N: You guys have been amazing with the reviews. Please keep them coming! I really love reading your input and ideas and theories. So tell me what you think! Until next time ;) **


	4. Only Shadows

**Chapter Four – Only Shadows**

_Don't let the sadness in yet to react as if somehow it's all come and gone  
Let's pretend we're all healed up and happy and moved on  
Tonight let the moon come shine  
Let us remain you and I  
Tell the sun not to rise  
For the darkest time  
Moonlight keep us steady  
Give me one more night then I'm ready_

Caroline followed close beside Klaus as they walked through the city, weaving in between buildings and down paths she would have never thought to travel down if he wasn't leading the way. She wanted to ask where they were going again, but as he had already told her, she just needed to see it for herself. The silence they walked in didn't help matters any. If her brain hadn't been working on overdrive it would have been a comfortable silence, but thoughts of her admission were still flooding her mind. She was enjoying herself. She should have been upset about being brought here. She should have been worried about her friends back home more than where Klaus was leading her. There were a lot of things she should have been thinking about, but Mystic Falls felt a million miles away from the softly lit street they were strolling down.

"Just a bit further." His voice interrupted her thoughts as she looked around path. There were quite a few people on the path with them, a mix of tourists and locals. Mostly couples, hands intertwined as they gravitated towards a large square. Caroline stiffened momentarily as Klaus's hand came to rest on her lower back, leading her through the crowd. He compelled a few people to leave, ensuring that they could find the edge and have enough space to enjoy it.

Caroline's mouth fell open as her hands curled around the iron railing. Before her was the entirety of Florence. Every inch of the city fell against the early evening sky and reflected off the Arno River. She looked out with childlike amusement as the city came alive. The lights beginning to dance against the dusk sky and the Basilica di Santa Maria del Foire giving the whole city a glow she would never be able to describe.

"I'm aware Florence was not on the list I offered you, but I believe I promised you the world. This is the closest we could come this evening," he whispered from his spot standing behind her, his hot breath fanning over her neck as he spoke.

"It was kind of short notice," she said, her eyes transfixed on the view in front of her. Before this the falls were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen; now they seemed laughable in comparison.

He smirked slightly at her words, watching her look at the city. Her eyes seemed to light up every time she found something new. "Piazzale Michelangelo," he said, moving to the rail and leaning his back against it. "It's been here for a hundred and fifty years, I remember when they built it. You can see for miles. The view is the most beautiful place in all of Florence."

"And you are missing it," she said, peeling her eyes away from the skyline to look over at Klaus, who had his back turned to city as he spoke to her.

"I'm quite certain my current view is better than anything the city has to offer."

If anyone else had used the line on her, Caroline would have rolled her eyes, but there was something so genuine about the way he said it. It didn't sound like a line coming from him. She had always mistaken his honesty for bravado and ego, he had plenty of both, but they didn't seem to fuel his intentions with her. It might have been Italy. Something in the air or the view laid out before her. It could have been her broken heart and her desire to feel something. There were a million reasons that could have been responsible for her desire to do what she was about to do and there was a good chance they were responsible for her conscious not kicking in as well.

He was still looking at her, his eyes searching hers for any hint of emotions or the way she was feeling. He had expected a nasty comment about how many people he had murdered or at the very least an eye roll from her as he was accustom to when he complimented her. And when her gaze turned towards him, he expected her to request returning home or more information on why they were there. He had come to expect a lot of things from Caroline, but just as she had told him earlier that day, there wasn't much he actually knew about her.

He watched as hesitation filled her eyes for a moment before her hand found his cheek, leaning in closer towards him. He froze for a fraction of a second before his lips descended down on hers, greeting them softly. His hands were drawn to her, one resting on her hip as the other cradled the back of her neck. Her lips parted slightly and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth. He had kissed her before, but not like this, not in his body, not with them both completely aware of the situation. She was in his arms and she had put herself there. His hand wandered up, cupping her cheek as she let out a soft moan against his lips before abruptly pulling away.

As the sound passed Caroline's lips, she suddenly became very aware of where she was and what she was doing. All of her rational thoughts flooded into her head at once and all she could focus on was the tingle in her trembling lips as she looked up at the man she had been so keen on kissing just moments before. She wanted to say something, anything, but she couldn't find the words. "I…I need to go," she said before disappearing into the crowd before Klaus could say anything.

| With or Without You |

Caroline gasped for a breath when she stopped running, but the lump in her throat prevented her from getting much air. She looked around the unfamiliar street, biting her lip as she saw a taxi stand on the corner. Slipping into the backseat, she closed her eyes tightly.

The driver asked her something in Italian and was greeted by Caroline's confused expression, "Where to?" he asked with a thick accent. That was a good question. She couldn't go back to the house. She couldn't see him right now. Getting as far away from him as possible was what she needed, but he had already compelled all the flights out from under her a few days before.

"Nearest train station," she said, which turned out to be not too far. After a few moments staring at a map, she purchased a ticket to San Marino, a town not far away with an international airport according to the map hanging on the wall in the train depot. Once aboard, she found her first class seat and dropped into it, leaning against the window. Her tears fell then. They didn't burst from her eyes like they normally did, it was slow. They streaked her cheeks as she gave up her futile attempts at stopping them. It wasn't just kissing Klaus, it was everything. It was Tyler's betrayal. It was being taken here against her will and both Klaus and Stefan acting like she had no right to be upset about it because she was in Italy. It was everyone always leaving her out or refusing to trust her with information. Everything poured out of her and she felt something she hadn't felt in well over a year. Caroline felt broken.

As she sat in the terminal lounge waiting for her flight back to Virginia, she sent Elena and her mother a text message, letting them know that she was getting on a plane to come home right now and she would be there in a few hours. Liz was waiting for her outside international arrivals when she walked out, exhausted from nearly seventeen hours of traveling and over twenty-four without sleep.

"I'm okay, Mom. I promise," she said softly as Liz pulled her into a hug.

"You look like hell, Caroline," Liz told her with a worried tone, pulling back and cupping her daughter's cheeks as she eyed her, taking in her sunken in and red eyes.

"Thanks Mom," Caroline said with a humorless laugh. "Can we just go home? It's been a long few days. I just want my bed."

Liz nodded, wrapping her arm around Caroline's shoulders and pulling her towards the exit doors to the waiting squad car.

"How was Italy?" she asked, looking over at her as they pulled onto the highway.

"Fine," Caroline said unenthusiastically as she leaned against the passenger's side window. She could see the worry etched on her mother's face, but she was too exhausted to hold much of a conversation. Physically, emotionally, exhausted in every sense of the word.

"Did Klaus hurt you?" she asked, her tone suggesting she was afraid of the answer.

Caroline looked over at her mom, "No, he was a perfect gentleman the entire time." She sighed, running her hand over her face. "I'm just exhausted. It's been a long week and between that and Tyler and the time change. I'm just tired, I promise," she tried to reassure her. That answer seemed to satisfy Liz. The rest of the car ride home was quiet. Caroline considered just dropping into her bed when she walked in the door, but she needed a drink and a shower. She peeled off the dress from the night before, or two days ago, she couldn't remember how long it had been, but she could still feel his lips on hers and it unsettled her. It wouldn't have been so bad if Klaus had kissed her. If he had been the one who initiated, she could blame it on him. She could say she was caught up in the moment or that she didn't react quickly enough. She could deny everything bit of the confusion she was feeling if he had been the one to lean in first, but it was her. She wanted to kiss him. It was Italy and it was the lights, but it was also her burning desire to know what those lips that spoke venom would feel like against hers. To know what those hands that maimed and murdered could do as they danced across her body and she hated herself for it. She had not realized the night he saved her that he had planted a seed of possibility in her subconscious and it flourished unnoticed under her vigilant eyes.

When Caroline emerged from the bathroom, Liz was waiting for her with a bag of B+, shifting it uncomfortably from hand to hand. She had to give her mother credit, despite taking a while to get there, Liz pushed aside a lot of aversions to be supportive and there for Caroline. Pulling her damp hair back into a pony tail, Caroline gave her mother a small smile, "Thanks, Mom." She took the bag from her hands and placed it on the nightstand to drink once she was alone.

Liz nodded as Caroline pulled down all of the shades, hiding the room from the afternoon sun before pulling the covers back on the bed and climbing in. "Just promise me that you would tell me if something was really wrong."

"I promise, I'm just tired and a little humiliated and I just want to pretend nothing exists outside of this bedroom for a while," Caroline said, reaching for the blood bag. "I love you, Mom." Liz returned the sentiment before backing out of the room and leaving Caroline to her thoughts. Unlike the previous night, they didn't keep her up. She was too exhausted to think of a way out of this tonight.

Caroline awoke to the sound of voices flooding up the stairs. One was her mother and it took her a moment to identify the other two as Elena and Stefan. She glanced over at the clock and noted that she had been asleep for nearly fifteen hours, but she still felt too tired to get up and see what they wanted. Instead, she stayed tucked in bed and tuned into the conversation.

"Is she okay?" Elena asked. Caroline could hear the concern in her voice. She knew that Elena was probably beating herself up for not doing anything when she found out that Klaus had taken Caroline out of the country.

"She's alright, just sleeping. She just kept saying how tired she was last night. That's why I think it's better we don't disturb her." Her mother's voice brought a small smile to her lips. She never thought becoming a vampire would be the thing that brought them closer, what made her mother turn into the one she needed and not the absent, but well-meaning workaholic she had grown up with.

Silence filled the air and Caroline swore she could hear Stefan's hesitation before he even spoke, "Alright," he started slowly, "Just tell her to I'd like to speak to her when she wakes up."

She sighed, she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about and she wasn't sure she was ready for the things that could come out during that conversation. Part of her was still furious with Stefan for allowing this to happen in the first place. He had put her in the position in the first place and without giving her a real reason. She heard the sound of feet shuffling out the door as she drifted off to sleep once again.

The next time Caroline woke up, it was to the sound of her mother's police cruiser pulling out of the driveway, no doubt leaving for her afternoon shift at the police station. With the tally of hours she had spent in bed nearing twenty-four, Caroline decided getting up would probably be a good idea. She pulled her 'Timberwolves' Cheer' sweatshirt on over the tank top and shorts she had worn to bed before wandering down the stairs to the basement and retrieving a blood bag from the freezer. As she walked up to the kitchen, she found the note her mother had left her letting her know she'd gone to work and Elena and Stefan had stopped by. She would send them a text to let them know she was alive later. She still wanted to be alone and the second she sent anyone a message, they would all be banging down her door.

"I believe it's bad etiquette to kiss and run, love. Perhaps you should brush up on your manners instead of sleeping the day away." Caroline nearly dropped the blood bag in her hands when she heard his voice fill the room. She turned, still wearing her stunned expression, and found him standing in the doorway between the entry hall and the kitchen. "That mother of yours is a feisty one. She informed me that you were sleeping and wouldn't want to see me. Fortunately for me, duty called."

"Can you blame her? You did kidnap her daughter," Caroline bit out, finding that the animosity she had used to keep him at arm's length for so long had been replaced with confusion and fear.

"So we are back to kidnapping then?" He walked towards her, crossing his arms as he circled her. "Last night I was helping you enjoy yourself," he spoke once he was behind her. "I believe someone is having trouble believing the big bad wolf is good for something other than sharpening that skillful little tongue of yours on." His lips curled into a smirk. Oh, he has no intention of letting that kiss go, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it an him. She made a choice and he would not allow her to take it back.

"Heat of the moment."

"We both know that's not the truth, love."

Caroline shook her head, her brows furrowing in frustration as he taunted her, "Just stop." She intended for her words to come out bigger than they did. She wanted to yell it at him, but the plea seemed to be as effective. His eyes fixed on her as she fought to find the right words, but nothing sounded right in her head. "I don't know what you want from me."

"I just want some of that honesty you were so kind as to bestow on me before."

"I don't know what I feel," she admitted, her eyes engaging in the eye contact she had been trying so hard to avoid. "I really don't. I was just betrayed by the person who was supposed to love me more than anyone else. The person I was going to spend the rest of my life running with to keep him safe. I hadn't even really begun to process that when I woke up on that airplane with you and I got to pretend Tyler didn't exist for a couple days, but you also kidnapped me." She paused, shaking her head. "So if you want honesty, I'm hurt and I'm confused. I got caught up in the lights and the city and the romance and kissed you, but everyone I care about is in danger and that's all I can think about."

He could hear the fear in her shaking voice. She was trying so hard to keep it steady, but the look in her eyes told more than her words could. She was afraid of what she felt, afraid that it might not have just been the lights and the city that fueled their kiss. It was at that moment, he realized how fragile their situation was. It had been a game he couldn't win until now, the deck had always been stacked in Caroline's favor, but her admission had leveled the playing field. His muscles tensed as the realization dawned on him. "Well, I believe I can help with one of those problems," he began, his exterior calm as his hands clasped behind his back.

"Can you just tell me why we were in Italy because that's really the only thing I want from you right now?"

"Actually, that's precisely what I'm here to talk to you about, seeing as you are already so very involved in the situation. We were in Italy to retrieve a relic from the 1100s. A sword that was once carried by a hunter who attempted to kill my family. He was part of a group, The Five, dedicated to eradicating the world of vampires. Our friendly neighborhood vampire hunter happens to be the modern day equivalent."

"So what? You needed the sword to kill him? I didn't realize we were still at the round table."

"Not exactly. Connor has a tattoo, one that only Jeremy Gilbert of all people can see, and each time he kills a vampire or one of my hybrids, the tattoo spreads."

"So what is the freaky magical tattoo of?" she asked as he peaked her interest.

"Well, legend has it, it's a map, a map to a cure of sorts. One that would turn a vampire back into a human. The sword is the key to reading it."

She stared at him for a moment. "There's a cure for vampirism?"

"Maybe. Maybe not, but what good is life without the possibility?" He smirked as he echoed her words.

**A/N: Hey guys! As always please keep the reviews coming? I love hearing from you! I was also wondering if you guys liked/listened to the songs at the beginning of the chapter when reading. I'm planning on putting together a playlist that will have the songs from the chapters on it and grow as I post them. If you're on tumblr feel free to follow me for updates. URL: Caroline-mikaelson**


	5. Hardest of Hearts

**Author's Note: So I don't know if it was last night's episode or not, but this chapter came really quickly. A few people asked about the songs so I'm going to start putting the names and possibly a link to them on my page. This one is called "Hardest of Hearts" by Florence + the Machine.**

**Chapter Five – Hardest of Hearts**

_There's love in your body but you can't get it out  
It pours from your eyes and spills from your skin  
Tenderest touch leaves the darkest of marks  
And the kindest of kisses break the hardest of hearts._

Not sleeping much had become an unfortunate pattern of Caroline's, but no one could blame her with the events of the past week. Klaus had asked her to keep the information between the two of them until they knew more and she understood why. If word got out of a possible cure, vampires from all over the world would be swarming to find it, some wanting to use it and some wanting to destroy it. Caroline had tried not to give it much thought. It all sounded too good to be true. She didn't want to get her hopes up for something that may not exist. If it did exist, would she use it? It was easy enough to claim she didn't need to go back to her human life. That she had changed for the better and she was used to it all, but the idea was still present and tempting. To have a normal life, one without vampires and werewolves, witches and hybrids. To go to college and get married, have the family she always wanted. She could make arguments for both sides but at the end of the day, she wasn't sure what she would do. Keeping her mind off of it all was an entirely different matter altogether.

After sleeping through Monday and spending Tuesday wrist deep in a tub of Ben and Jerry's, Caroline decided Wednesday morning that she would return to school. She showered, chose her outfit, and drove to the school without much thought, but getting out of the car seemed to trouble her. She could see everyone filing into the school, her eyes scanning for anyone who would try to stop her as she walked in. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to talk about anything. All she wanted to do was get through the day and that was a task in itself with the way she felt. Unfortunately, if graduating high school without compelling herself a diploma was still in her plans, she was going to have to go in the building eventually.

She pulled her bag over her shoulder and checked her appearance in the rearview mirror once more before sliding out of the car. She walked at a brisk pace towards the building, past the crowd of cheerleaders calling her over to chat before classes, past the student council vice president trying to flag her down for a last minute opinion. She practically ran down the hall as she walked past the gym, successfully avoiding Matt and Tyler as they walked out of the locker room. She slipped into her first period classroom and into the desk closest to the door. Normally she sat in the back corner with Stefan and Bonnie, but not today. She could avoid them all together until fifth period biology where Matt was her lab partner and she would have no choice, but she wasn't sure Matt even knew where she had been.

"Caroline, I was looking for you outside, do you have a minute?" Stefan asked, motioning out the door so they could speak in privacy before class.

"No," she shook her head, the tip of her pen pressed against the notebook sitting in front of her. She continued when she saw Stefan's shocked expression. "Maybe after class. I missed Friday, Monday, and yesterday, I have a lot of catching up to do before class starts. I'm sorry," she told him, trying to play it off like nothing was wrong.

"Alright," he said warily, "I'll try to catch you after class." He raised an eyebrow when he realized how far she was sitting from her normal seat, but said nothing.

To Stefan's credit, he did try to catch Caroline after class, but she had no intention of being caught. The second the bell rang, Caroline jumped from her seat and disappeared into her AP English classroom, chatting with the teacher during the extra time so no one would disturb her. The pattern went on throughout the day, avoiding all of her friends and more than them, Tyler. She camped out in the library during lunch instead of meeting everyone behind the school delivery bay like they normally did, making a point not to show up in History until the moment before the bell rang. It was an ingenious plan, much better than actually facing what had happened. She felt like the truth could burst out of her at any moment and if she couldn't understand why it had happened, there was no chance of her friends being able to.

"So is there a reason you are pretending to be too busy to talk to everyone today or have you decided you are too cool to hang out with us anymore?" Matt asked as he walked into the Biology lab, setting his books down on the black laminate table Caroline was seated at. The look on his face was one of genuine concern, but she still wondered if Elena or Stefan put him up to asking her.

"I just don't want to run into Tyler," she said sheepishly, her eyes returning to the chapter on cell division that her book was open to. She was still having trouble even thinking his name without imagining him and Hayley in bed together, running into him would have been worse. His half sincere apology the day she had discovered his missteps had been bad enough. She was content to never see him again, but Mystic falls was a small town and being supernatural meant they would always be lumped together no matter how badly she wanted to get away from him. She was so heavily wrapped up in town events and planning half her time was spent at the Lockwood Mansion or the Mayor's office talking to Carol. The coming weeks would be no exception with the next Miss Mystic Falls Pageant coming up on them quickly. She knew she would have to learn to peacefully co-exist with him eventually, but right now avoiding him was the best option. All she felt when she looked at him was hurt.

"I know you are hurt, Care. What Tyler did with Hayley was not okay, but you can't let it dictate your life. He should be the one avoiding us, not you. We want you around." He offered her a smile as he sunk into the hard plastic chair. "Besides, I need you to talk to me and not be moping if I'm going to pass this class. I don't know any of this stuff."

"I think Biology is the one thing I can handle today." She took a deep breath before looking down at her book. It wasn't difficult and Matt wasn't dumb. She suspected that Matt was simply trying to make her feel better about everything else going on by giving her something to do.

"You know they are just worried about, right?" Matt commented as Caroline caught Stefan and Elena looking over at her for the fourth time that class period.

"I know. Normally, no one really cares what happens to me and for once I would love for them to go back to pretending I don't exist unless they need my help," she said, her pen crumbling under her fingertips from being held to tightly.

"Care, you know that's not true. We all care about you."

"Because that concern is what made Stefan put me on plane with Klaus and left me to fend for myself. It's done me so much good in the past," she rolled her eyes, the sarcasm dripping off her words. "I'm sorry. I probably should have waited a day before coming back to school. I'm still a little angry." She picked up the pieces of her pen and dropped them into the garbage.

"You are allowed to be angry, but be mad at Stefan. Elena was going to get on a plane to come get you the second she found out about it."

She sighed, her head hanging for a moment. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm still on edge." She bit her lip, letting out a sigh of relief when the bell rang. "I think I'm just going to skip last period. I really don't want to be here and that's having an adverse effect. I need some junk food." She tried to reassure him with a fake smile before gathering her things and ducking out the door. She had just climbed behind the wheel when she heard her name. She closed her eyes tightly, willing with all of her might that she had imagined it or at the very least she would turn around and see anyone but Stefan standing there, but she was not so lucky. After seriously considering starting the car and speeding away, she took a deep breath before rolling down the window, "Stefan, what are you doing out here?" she asked, nonchalantly. "Don't you have class?"

"Don't you?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you going to keep pretending you haven't been ignoring me all day?"

"That depends. Are you going to stop me if I try to pull out of this parking lot right now to avoid talking to you?" She looked up at him, her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. He helped himself to her passenger's seat before she could test that theory. "I don't remember inviting you into my car, Stefan. I don't really want to talk to you right now."

"Look, I'm sorry that you got wrapped up in all of this-"

"Really? You're sorry, Stefan? Because you didn't seem all that worried about me when you put me on a plane with Klaus. You didn't seem to be very sorry when I called you and you told me to enjoy Italy despite the fact that you conspired to kidnap me. You didn't seem to be very sorry when you refused to tell me ANYTHING about why I was there. So I'm sorry if I don't exactly believe your apology, Stefan." Caroline turned towards him, her eyes gleaming with betrayal as she started the car and pulled out of the school parking lot, heading towards her house.

"I couldn't tell you what was going on while you were there because I didn't want to risk him finding out why I really sent you and hurting you. I was trying to protect you. I needed someone there with him making sure he was doing what he was supposed to be doing while he was there. I needed someone there I trusted, Caroline," he said, remaining calm despite Caroline's obvious anger. "I'm not telling you not to be upset, but look at the big picture. This cure could be Elena's opportunity to be human again, yours, everyone's. We can't let him get the upper hand."

Caroline had calmed down, but only slightly, "You could have trusted that I could handle this information. I'm a grown up, Stefan. I can take care of myself. I should have heard what was happening from you before I even got on the plane, not from Klaus."

"So he told you what he was looking for?" Stefan asked, his interest suddenly peaked as she stopped in front of the home.

"Of course he did. He's been more honest with me than you have lately," she pointed out as they headed into the house and Caroline went straight for the hidden bottle of gin her mother kept behind the cereal boxes.

Stefan raised an eyebrow, "What exactly happened in Italy?"

"He got the sword and then promised to take me home and then I came home on my own because I didn't want to wait," she told him, pouring out two glasses and downing hers in a matter of moments.

"Klaus told me that much, but what you both seem to be leaving out is what happened in between him finding the sword and you getting on a plane to come home. Why didn't you just come home right after you had the sword? What happened?" he asked, rolling the liquid in his glass around as he watched Caroline pour herself another glass.

She shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. "We went out to the city and he took me to a few museums and sights in the city. Then we were supposed to come home the next morning."

"If he was bringing you home the next day why did you feel the need to take a train and a plane home in the middle of the night?" he asked, his questioned becoming more deliberate.

"I just didn't feel like being there anymore, okay?"

"Caroline..."

"We kissed!" she yelled. "I got caught up in Italy and the city and I was still upset about Tyler and he was there and I kissed him and that was it!" she rambled on, her words growing faster the more she spoke. "As soon as it happened I booked it out of there. It didn't mean anything. I just kissed him and you can't tell anyone because I can't deal with it right now. I am just going to keep pretending it didn't happen because I can't think of a single reason for why it happened in the first place."

"Well, I don't mean to interrupt story time, but we have a problem." Caroline and Stefan both turned towards the door where Klaus was standing with a hardened expression. Caroline gulped. If she had a stake, she would have plunged it into her chest right then and there. The situation couldn't possibly have gotten any worse.

"Great, just great," she mumbled under her breath, downing the rest of what was in her glass.

When no one said anything constructive, Klaus went further, "While I cannot be one hundred percent sure without the entirety of the map in front of me, upon further inspection of the drawing Jeremy provided me with, I don't believe the one sword is going to be enough."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Well, considering there are five members of The Five, I think it's safe to assume we're going to need five swords in order to find the cure. Would you like to check my mathematics, Stefan?" Klaus raised an eyebrow.

Caroline wasn't sure if he was on edge because of the situation or what he had over heard her say, but she suspected it was the latter considering he had yet to look at her since walking into her home. "So," she began, "what do we do now?"

"Find the other swords. You don't have to help, Caroline. I would be more than happy to aid you in the process of pretending none of this ever happened." His eyes met hers, but they weren't the soft blue they had been the night in Italy. They were icy and cold, her body stiffened under his gaze.

"You aren't compelling her," Stefan finally stepped in, throwing his arm protectively in front of Caroline. "The three of us are the only ones who know. We need her. We need all the help we can get and since we can't go to Damon and Elena, we need Caroline."

Klaus put his hands up, "Whatever you say, Stefan. We both know you're in charge," he spoke sarcastically before turning and walking towards the door. "Just find me the swords," he called over his shoulder before disappearing.

"Thank you," Caroline said once he was gone.

"When I promised I would keep you safe, I meant it. Even if it doesn't always seem like it." He looked down at her. "I need to go do damage control with Elena for why we both disappeared. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, but if you want it to stay a secret, I suggest you stop ignoring Bonnie and Elena. Keep that up and they will know something is up for sure."

"You're right. Tell her I'll see her before school tomorrow, okay?"

"Bye Caroline."

**Author's Note: Unfortunately, the kiss was not enough to bring Caroline and Klaus together. Those two still have a long ride ahead of them. Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you all. **


	6. Disappear

**Chapter Six – Disappear**

_Who taught you that you have to run?  
What inspires this fear?  
When you start to feel something real  
You always disappear  
You have to disappear._

Caroline huffed loudly, staring down at the MacbookPro in her lap. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking for," she said, clicking over from her open google tab to check her facebook one more time.

"Well, I don't think you are going to find it on Facebook," Stefan pointed out, looking up from one of the grimiores Klaus had taken from Gloria's while they were in Chicago.

"Nor do I think your repetitive internet searches of 'The Five', 'The Five Swords', 'Vampire Hunters', and whatever else you've typed in are going to turn up anything valuable, Caroline," Klaus spoke as he walked back into his study and sat down behind the desk in front of a stack of cave drawings he had collected from over Eastern Europe. "You would be putting your skills to better use if you dug into one of those books."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking for. I was born in 1994 here in Mystic Falls, not a million years ago in middle earth like you two. If it isn't on wikipedia or Bonnie can't summon its location, I don't know where to look or what I'm looking for." She let out an exasperated sigh before closing the cover of her laptop and stowing it away.

"Middle Earth is a place, not a time. It's also fictional; we're not in a Tolkien novel. We're real people and if you meant the middle ages, I'm a lot younger than him so don't lump me in that category," Stefan pointed out, trying to ease the tension unsuccessfully. Stefan matched her sigh, he was already frustrated having spent most of the afternoon refereeing Klaus and Caroline and keeping her on task when her attentions were continuously pulled towards her phone. "The drawings we showed you. Look for anything that looks like that. Those symbols will be on anything about the swords or the cure. So just look for that," Stefan tried to be reassuring, but he could feel Klaus's impatient stare on the back of his head. "It has to be in here somewhere."

"Well, I sincerely hope you two find it while I'm gone because if I have to come back and look for something that might not even be there again, I don't know how I will keep the kill innocent people urges at bay," Caroline said, standing from the arm chair she was sitting in and pulling her purse over her shoulder.

"Now that's something I would enjoy seeing," Klaus sat back in his chair, his feet resting on the desk as the smirk spread across his face.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked, ignoring the staring contest Klaus and Caroline seemed to be partaking in at the moment. He looked up at Caroline, pulling her attention away from Klaus.

"I have cheerleading practice. Then I have to go talk to the caterer's and finalize the menu for appetizers and drinks at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. Carol gave me a bigger role this year since I am reigning Miss Mystic Falls and apparently that means me doing everything while she takes the credit. I can't tell if she's mad over the Tyler break up, even though none of it is my fault, or if she just doesn't like me. Either way, I have to go."

"As delectable as I'm certain you look in that cheerleading uniform, don't you think this is a little more important than cheerleading practice, love?" Klaus asked, his eyebrow raising.

"I do actually, which is exactly why I have to go. You don't want anyone to know about what's going on which means I cannot deviate from my daily routine or people are going to ask questions. My mother is already suspicious about where I was last night. I told her I fell asleep studying at Bonnie's because I didn't think that I pulled an all-nighter with Klaus and Stefan looking for a cure that may or may not exist would have gone over super well," Caroline scoffed, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "And don't call me love."

"She's right. If either of us spend too much time here or start missing our plans, Elena, Bonnie, Damon, all of them are going to start getting suspicious," Stefan backed up what Caroline had said. "Just come back when you are done. We could use the extra eyes and get yourself some French fries. The last thing we need to deal with is your kill innocent people urges. Not when we are already dealing with his." He watched as Caroline nodded before walking out the door. He ran his hand over his face before diving back into the book sitting in front of him.

"She actually made a good point in between all of that incessant rambling about cheerleading and town events," Klaus said, putting his hands behind her head.

"That we aren't getting anywhere with any of this?" Stefan asked, closing his book upon realizing there was nothing even remotely helpful located in the book he was looking through. At least Caroline's internet searches gave her a lot ground to cover. The book was just frustrating.

"No, the witch. Bonnie. She can to a location spell on the swords. Let us know where to begin our search or at the very least point us in the right direction."

"No, Bonnie is just beginning to get her magic back and I thought we were keeping the people who know to a minimum? Isn't bringing more people in on this defeating the purpose of keeping it from everyone?"

"You said it yourself, we aren't getting anywhere with these texts. The hunters were smart. They kept things from the written word. I don't think we will find anything to go on in here no matter how hard we search. I would prefer not to involve her, but unfortunately it appears we are going to need a touch of help from the other side and I may not trust the which, but you and Caroline do. I suppose that is going to have to be good enough for now. A location spell is simple, it's not as though it's going to harm her in anyway. She won't get so much as a nose bleed while performing it."

Stefan stared at him for a while, as much as it pained him to admit, he knew that Klaus was right. They weren't going to get anywhere with these books. There wasn't so much as a string to tug on in in any of the resources sitting in front of them. Bringing Bonnie into this was the last thing he wanted to do. He was already regretting putting Caroline in this position considering what had transpired between her and Klaus and dragging another person into this disaster sounded like a horrible idea, but they were out of options and finding the swords wasn't their only problem. They also had to find Connor. "Fine. When Caroline comes back, we'll have her call Bonnie over and fill her in on the situation. Hopefully, we find something before then and we won't have to."

"Fantastic."

| With or Without You |

"You're late," Tiki informed Caroline as she climbed out of the car in front of the football field. She was still pulling her shirt into place, having changed into her practice outfit on the way there. Getting naked in Klaus's mansion, even in private to change, seemed like a horrible idea and she had enough of those lately. She eyed the girl in obvious annoyance. She had been the thorn in her side, vying for her position as cheerleading captain since before Rebekah had shown up in town. Granted the girl wasn't much a threat anymore. Caroline's already spectacular athletic ability had improved tenfold since becoming a vampire. Tiki, nor any of the other girls on the cheerleading squad could even come close.

"I was busy. It's not like you can have practice without me," Caroline said, flashing her a tight smile before dropping her bag at the front of the stadium next to the stereo system. She did her very best to ignore the fact that Tyler was on the field practicing and Hayley was seated in the stands watching. Did she really have nothing better to do than sit in the stands and watch? Mystic Falls was boring sure, but couldn't Hayley entertain herself elsewhere. This was her turf and the brunette should have stayed off of it. Try as she may, she found it difficult to keep her mind on the practice, instead of wandering up to the stands. This was not supposed to be the difficult part of her day. That was dealing with Klaus or at the very least Carol. She was hoping if she released cheerleading practice early, she would be able to get in and out of the Lockwood mansion before Tyler got home from practice, but the way her day was going, she wasn't holding out much hope. Spending the morning with Klaus was bad enough, spending the afternoon with Tyler, Hayley, and Mrs. Lockwood sounded like a fresh new hell that she had done nothing to deserve.

After putting the girl's through a rather rough and fast paced practice, Caroline dismissed them early. Admittedly, she was in a bad mood and it certainly contributed to the rigorous work out and difficult routine she had put them through, but none of them seemed to complain when she let them go fifteen minutes early. She took a quick shower in the locker room before heading straight to her meeting with Mrs. Lockwood and the caterer's. Caroline was decisive with her decision making, but her patience was on its last leg when the older woman questioned her for the fifth time about her decision to use eggshell instead of off-white linen's. "If you really think off-white would look better, Mrs. Lockwood, then maybe we should go with that since you seem to be so insistent on the color. I wouldn't want to question your judgment or displace your expertise in the area," Caroline told her, struggling to keep the passive aggressive tone to a minimum.

"Caroline, are you feeling alright? Your head appears to be somewhere else today?" Mrs. Lockwood asked, looking at the girl sitting before her suspiciously.

"Everything is fine. It's just been a long week," she said, her lips forming a tight line. She had no intention of spilling the details of her week to Carol Lockwood, leaving it at long sounded like a much better idea.

"I know you and Tyler have broken up, if you don't feel you can fulfill your obligations here because of that, I will be more than happy to find someone who can help."

"No, I can do this. I'm capable of separating my personal life from my duties," she assured her, forcing a smile.

"Good. I believe that's all for today. The plans are coming along nicely. Everything is going to be perfect for this weekend. Despite your obvious distraction, you're doing a good job, Caroline."

This time the blonde released a genuine smile, "Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood."

As the older woman walked out of the room, Caroline began to gather her things. She wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of going back to Klaus's house of horrors to deal with more hunter business, but she had to admit it was better than staying in this house any longer. The plans were set in motion and it appeared the Pageant would go off without a hitch. The winner had already been decided though Caroline wasn't allowed to say anything. It was an obvious decision, April was voted unanimously. Caroline wondered how many votes were genuine and how many were out of simple pity. Caroline liked her though. She was perseverant. Despite everything she had been through lately, the girl still had her head up high and Caroline admired that. Caroline had tried to act the same way over the last year so perhaps she could relate to her. She knew what it was like to lose a parent. April would represent the town well and she would probably be less distracted than Caroline while doing so. She was lost in thought as she packed her notes into the large Coach bag, failing to notice as a new presence walked into the room.

"Caroline, I didn't realize you were still here," Tyler said awkwardly.

"Well, my car is sitting out front so that should have probably been your first clue" she quipped, not looking up from her bag as she zipped it closed. "Don't worry, Tyler. I was just leaving. You and Hayley have nothing to worry about." She moved to walk past him out the door, pausing only when he caught her arm.

"Caroline, I wanted to talk to you about something actually," Tyler said, letting go of her arm when she glared at him.

"What could you possibly have to say to me Tyler? I'm pretty sure seeing Hayley naked on top of you said all I was ever going to need to hear from you." She crossed her arms over her chest taking a defensive stance. All she really wanted to do was run out the door and pretend none of this ever happened. It was childish, but she really didn't care about anything that Tyler had to say to her. She had all the information she needed about him and Hayley and the last thing she needed was the half assed apology she assumed he was about to give her. She didn't want his apology. As much as she wanted to leave, she knew she had to be the bigger person. She dropped her shoulders and looked at him expectantly. "What do you want to say to me?"

"I was just thinking since I already told you I would go to the Pageant with you it would be kind of a dick move if I backed out on you and left you hanging. I talked to Hayley about it. She isn't exactly thrilled, but she said me being the bigger person and still taking you would probably be the right thing to so so she's cool with it. We can do the dance thing and all of the founding families can just keep thinking that we're together until afterwards. It'll make things easier for you."

Caroline stared at him for a minute before beginning to laugh. "Are you kidding me?" she asked. "Why the hell would I want to go with you? You cheated on me and lied to me for months. I was here worried sick about you while you were off having fun in the woods with Hayley. So no, you will not have the honor of being my escort for the pageant, in fact no one will. I am going alone because I am strong and independent and I don't need you to take pity on me and take me because your new girlfriend said you could. No thank you. I'm sure Hayley will be thrilled you can take her now. Just leave me alone."

His face hardened at her rejection, "Oh really? Going alone. I thought for sure you'd let Klaus take you since you let him show you all across Italy." Her fists clenched at her sides, but she didn't say anything. She refused to sink to his level. There were a million comments she could have thrown at him that revolved around him and Hayley, but she bit her tongue. "You know, I knew you would take our break up hard, but I didn't think you would go hoping into bed with the first guy who smiled at you, Caroline. Old habits die har-" She didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence, her fist connected with his jaw, sending him to the ground before he had a chance.

"You know what Tyler? Go to hell. There's nothing going on between Klaus and I. I didn't plan on going to Italy, but it was better than sitting in my room crying over someone who didn't deserve me in the first place. I did everything. I helped you when you had no one. I risked my life to stay with you while you shifted so you didn't have to do it alone. I gave you chance after chance and you repaid me by getting into bed with the first werewolf who crossed your path once you left Mystic Falls and that was bad enough, but then you brought her back here paraded her around in front of me like nothing was wrong. I loved you. I accepted you and I thought you felt the same way about me, but it's pretty clear you don't and I'm not sure if you ever did in the first place or if our entire relationship was built on me being there when you needed someone because that's a courtesy you never afforded me. You were never there when I needed you. I let it go because you were off breaking your sire bond for me when in reality I spent all that time alone worrying about you because you were too busy getting primal with Hayley to return answer your phone. You don't get to pretend to be the better person and do me the favor of being my date. I don't want you to. I don't want you to come anywhere near me. You or Hayley. Just stay the hell out of my life." She marched out of the mansion before Tyler could get another word in, climbing into her car. She considered ignoring Stefan's request to come back to Klaus's and helping with the search and just going home, but she had to remind herself it was just Tyler and not the entirety of the male race she was angry with. Parking her car in the horseshoe driveway outside the mansion, she marched inside and walked past the study the two men were still seated, headed straight back in search of the kitchen or some kind of liquor cabinet. She opened every door along the way until she stumbled upon the kitchen. She had pulled a blood bag out of the fridge and a bottle of what was probably very expensive scotch off the bar and was beginning to make herself a drink with the two before Stefan and Klaus walked into the room.

"By all means, help yourself," Klaus said, crossing his arms and leaning in the door way as he watched her curiously. She looked equal parts angry and determined with a good deal of adrenaline judging by her difficulty opening the blood bag. His mind wandered to where she had mentioned she was going earlier and it dawned on him that the likelihood of her running into Tyler during her time away was high.

"Something happen Caroline?" Stefan asked.

"Tyler Lockwood was born," she snapped, bringing the scotch and blood mixture to her lips and downing it.

This answer seemed to amuse Klaus. As soon as the words as the words left her lips, a smirk broke out on his. "Well that's a surprise," he mumbled, his words dripping in sarcasm.

Caroline shot him a look before beginning to make herself another drink. "He is a jerk and I'm relatively certain I broke my hand on his face, but I don't want to talk about it. So please tell me you two did your little Sherlock and Watson thing while I was gone and found something because the last thing in the world I want to do is go back to those books again."

Klaus's smirk grew wider when she mentioned that she hit him, but he didn't say anything. He left that to Stefan. "We figured out a way to find the swords without combing through every book in the world, but you aren't going to like it," he told her. He wasn't enjoying the idea of giving her bad news when everything else was going to hell for her, but it needed to be done. When she looked at him expectantly, he hesitated for a moment. "We need you to call Bonnie over here."

**Author's Note: Hey guys, hope you liked this chapter. Let me know what you think!**


	7. Pills

**Chapter Seven – Pills**

_I hope my smile can distract you  
I hope my fists can fight for two  
So it never has to show and you'll never know  
One may think we're alright  
but we need pills to sleep at night  
We need lies to make it through the day  
We're not okay_

"No," Caroline said firmly; she crossed her arms over her chest as she stood next to the kitchen counter.

"Caroline," Stefan gave her a look. She knew it meant he thought she was being unreasonable but in that moment she didn't care. She hated being pushed around and told what to do. What they were asking seemed to go against everything they had said before about keeping it secret, something she had no problem pointing out.

"What happened to all of your vows of secrecy? You didn't want anyone to know about this by me and now you want to bring Bonnie into it. It doesn't make any sense." She swirled the liquid around her glass, wondering how unladylike it would be too simply bring the bottle to her lips. This plan of theirs seemed ridiculous. "Bonnie won't want to keep it a secret from Elena. Isn't that the entire point of this?" she asked, biting her lip as she looked from one to the other. Having Bonnie around was dangerous, friends of not, Caroline knew how dangerously perceptive she was and that was the last thing she needed. She was trying to forget about Italy and she knew Bonnie would raise questions.

"We need the witch to find the swords. Simple as that, Caroline. There isn't a letter about them in any of our resources and there are a great many of them. If we are going to find them, we'll have to have her do a location spell with the sword we already have as an anchor. Otherwise this whole endeavor was for nothing," Klaus told her, his patience wearing thin because of her petulant childishness.

"I can talk to Bonnie about not telling Damon and Elena. Explain why it's so important not to tell her. That way she won't say anything. We wouldn't want Elena to get her hopes up over something that might not exist," Stefan said, his tone softening as he tried to appeal to Caroline's sympathies. He could tell she didn't want Bonnie there and he guessed it had something to do with the daggered and amused glares she and Klaus alternated sending each other. Fortunately he could see her resolve crumbling. She gave a sigh before downing the rest of her blood and looking over at them.

"Fine, but she is not going to be happy about it. She still isn't over the body switching incident." She shot a glare in Klaus's direction.

"That is precisely why you are going to talk her into it, sweetheart." He walked towards her stopping dangerously close. She held her breath as she looked up at him, his fingers brushing against hers as he took the bottle of scotch out of her hand. "Blood goes better with Cognac," he spoke before brushing past her and putting the bottle of scotch back where Caroline had pulled it from.

She let out the breath she had been holding slowly before heading out of the room, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. She wanted to call Bonnie and get it over with, but she needed to calm down for a moment first. What was it about him that infuriated her so much? She had it narrowed down. Unsure if it was the accent or the stubble that made her split her time between wanting to kiss him and kill him, but currently it was the latter. Once the urge to break every vase she passed as she wandered down the hallway settled, she pressed her phone to her ear and listened for Bonnie to pick up.

"Hey, Care," Bonnie picked up the phone and Caroline swore she heard a hint of anger in her voice. She couldn't exactly blame her, Caroline had been ignoring both her and Elena for the better part of a week now and she would have continued if Stefan and Klaus had not strong armed her into making this phone call. She wasn't mad at them, she knew they were worried, but she knew they would get the details of her trip to Italy out of her in no time and she wasn't prepared to explain herself to either of them just yet.

"Hi. I know I haven't exactly been around lately, but I have a really good reason. Are you doing anything right now?" she asked, wandering aimlessly through the halls of the mansion as she waited for Bonnie's response.

"I'm at home. Why?"

"Well, this is going to sound really weird," Caroline hesitated, her fingers curling around one of the door knobs as she leaned against it. "Can you come over? I'm at the Mikaelson's and I need to talk to you. Stefan and I need to talk to you. He's here, too," she added quickly.

"Why are you at Klaus's mansion?" Bonnie asked as Caroline stumbled back into the room she was leaning against.

"It's complicated, but I promise I will explain everything when you get here. It's really important or I wouldn't be asking you, so please hurry," Caroline said, looking around the room.

"Are you and Stefan okay?" she asked, the worry in her voice suddenly present.

"Yes, we're fine. Bonnie, I know this is hard to believe, but this is important. Just come here, I have to go." She hung up the phone and slipped it in her pocket and looked around the room. She had been in there before, the night of the ball, but walking to it had not been her intention. It looked different than the night she had seen it, but she sensed that his artistic taste changed like the weather based on the unfinished canvases scattered on several different easels. She walked over to the drawing desk, her fingers tracing over several of the pages of thick hand-pressed paper. The drawings on them varied, some were abstract, some were landscapes, but each was equally entrancing. Flipping them over, she looked through the pile before stumbling upon the sketch pad. She turned over the cover page and found some of the same things she had seen on the loose leaf paper. It wasn't until a few pages back she found what she hadn't know she had been looking for, drawings of her. Her head tilted to the side as she took in the lines and short pencil strokes. It was beautiful, she couldn't deny that much. He had hundreds of years to hone his natural artistic ability and it showed.

As Caroline admired his work, she failed to notice the presence in the doorway. After deciding she was taking too long, Klaus had followed the sound of her voice down the twisting corridors of the mansion until he stumbled upon her in the drawing room. He remained silent as he watched her examine each piece of art. If anyone else has walked into this room uninvited he would have been furious, but who was he to deny Caroline entry when she had inspired most of the works. She treated his work with reverence, her fingers trailing appreciatively over the pages and he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to where else he would like to see her fingers trail. He let his tongue dart out to wet his lips as a few brief flashes moved through his subconscious.

"Caroline!" Klaus heard Stefan call her from downstairs and he quickly made off before Caroline turned around and saw him standing there. By the time Caroline reached the kitchen Klaus had already made his way back the other staircase, his fingers wrapped around a bottle of cognac. "So what did she say?" Stefan asked as she walked into the room.

"She's on her way over. Very confused, but she's coming. She thought you kidnapped us for a minute. I don't think she's very happy about being summoned over here." she said, taking the bottle from him when he extended it to her.

"Well, it's fortunate that I care very little about how she feels about being summoned over here."

"You should care a bit more considering she's doing you a huge favor." She slid her finger against the wax seal on the bottle so she could pry it open before beginning to make her drink.

"Favor?" he scoffed placing a second glass in front of her for himself as he leaned back against the opposite counter. "It's not a favor when she has something to gain from this as well. All the guilt she's built up inside over all of her childhood friends becoming creatures of the night could be absolved with this cure. Don't be so quick to assume I stand to gain the most."

"Don't pretend you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart. You want hybrids," she told him, the blood and liquor sloshing around the glasses as she hastily poured them. She thrust the glass into his hand, "You aren't doing this for any of us."

Klaus was prepared to retort when the front door opened and all three turned towards the source of the sound. Stefan, who had been watching the entire interaction with confusion, was the first to walk towards the door to greet Bonnie with Caroline hot on his tails.

"Does one of you want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Bonnie asked, her judgmental gaze falling on Caroline before moving to Stefan. Caroline looked to Stefan, meeting his equally troubled gaze as they both waited for the other to begin.

Luckily for them both, Klaus chose that moment to walk into and saved them from awkwardly stumbling over their explanations. "Well, as these two have failed to mention thus far, we are in need of a little support in the witchy variety." He went on to explain all about the swords and the cure and how imperative that she did not mention this to anyone was.

"If there's a cure for vampirism why isn't it in any of the Bennett Grimoires?" she asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Her eyes hadn't moved from Klaus since the conversation began, refusing to spare Caroline a glance. It was worse than disappointment, it felt like complete and total apathy towards her and there was nothing she could to about it. She found herself sitting on the main staircase just behind Stefan and Klaus as the conversation moved forward.

"The Five go back a bit further than the Bennett's, sweetheart."

"So what exactly do you need from me?" she asked.

"Location spell. Child's play for a witch of your lineage. The sword is on the desk in the study." He motioned towards the open door way.

"I need candles," she said before walking towards the room.

A few moments later, Caroline walked into the room with an arm full of candles. She carefully placed them on the desk around the sword as Bonnie stood next to the desk, "If you need more, I can go look-"

"So this is what you've been doing?" Bonnie asked, raising an eyebrow as she and Caroline began to light the candles. "Why you have been dodging Elena and I?"

"We've just been trying to find these stupid swords. That's what we were doing in Italy, but I didn't have anything to do with that. No one even told me what was going on or why I was there until after I came back. It was the most infuriating three days of my life." She shook her head, taking a seat in one of the arm chairs she had been sitting in earlier that day.

"Well, you three seem to be getting along remarkably well." She shot Caroline another suspicious look. Caroline was going to comment on it, but Bonnie changed the subject before she could. "So does this cure actually exist or are we going on a wild goose chase for Klaus's amusement?" She picked up the sword, examining it's weight in her hands.

"I hope so. I really don't know. I can't read the hieroglyphics he had been sporting around. I don't think he would do that though. He wants Elena back to human as badly as she does. I know it's going to put us right back in the same position we were in before but-"

"Exactly. You're helping him terrorize Elena again." Bonnie shot back.

"I'm helping him find a cure for her. No one wants Elena to be human more than Elena."

"Does she?" Bonnie asked and Caroline couldn't help wondering if Bonnie knew something she didn't. She raised her eyebrow before Bonnie shook her head. "You're right. This would help Elena and you."

"Exactly."

"Why are you so defensive Care?"

"I'm not. It's just been a really long day," she told her, the excuse sounding old coming from her lips. She had used it countless times in the last few days. "I'm just stressed out I guess. I only have a week until the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant and Mrs. Lockwood is putting everything on my plate then following behind me with a fine toothed comb to make sure I haven't done anything wrong. Although I think at this point she wants me to screw it up just so she can say she was right." She sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "And Tyler had the audacity to tell me he was going to suck it up and take me to the pageant still. Like I need a pity date. I could get a date if I wanted."

"I'm sure Klaus would go with you," Bonnie mumbled sarcastically under her breath.

Caroline shot her a glare, "Not helping. I'm going alone because I don't need a date. I just cannot believe the nerve of Tyler do that. I mean, seriously? Then he yelled at me for jumping into bed with Klaus." Bonnie's eyes shot up in Caroline's direction, "I didn't! He just jumped to conclusions and I may have punched him. I mean, he's completely fine obviously, but still! He basically called me a slut."

Bonnie sighed, cocking her head to the side, "Tyler is not good for you. He never was. You have a remarkable talent for finding the man that is the absolute worst for you and trying to make a relationship out of it. I mean, Damon? Matt when you were trying to figure out how to be a vampire? And then Tyler. It's like a lifetime movie, Caroline. I like your strive for independence, just try to keep it up. Tough love, I know, but it seems like you need it."

Caroline opened her mouth to say something, but found she couldn't. There really wasn't anything to say, Bonnie was right. Caroline always found the worst person for her and she was not going to repeat that pattern. She sat back in silence as Bonnie began the spell. Caroline always expected for more to happen. From every movie she had seen that had involved witches, she expected the windows to burst open, the flames to flare up, a gush of wind to enter the room and howl, but magic was usually silent. It all seems a bit anticlimactic as far as she was concerned. She watched as Bonnie lit the map on fire and began to mumble something aloud. The map engulfed in flames for a few brief moments before the fire suffocated and went out, leaving only a small scrap of paper. Bonnie picked it up and examined it for a few moments before handing it to Caroline. The two women walked out of the study to the main hall where Stefan and Klaus were waiting expectantly.

"What you are looking for is in Bulgaria," Bonnie said, handing Klaus the map.

"All four of them?" he asked skeptically.

"No, just one. The swords are linked. The magic is older than anything I've ever seen before. I'm only going to be able to find one at a time. You'll have to get that one and I'll use it to find the rest. It's the only way it's going to work."

"I will tell the pilot to prepare the plane for Tirnovo." Klaus pulled his phone from his pocket, leaving Stefan, Bonnie and Caroline next to the staircase.

"I have things to do. You get to chaperone this trip," Caroline said, patting Stefan on the shoulder before grabbing her bag and walking out the door with Bonnie.

**Author's Note: My original intent had been to combine this chapter with the next one, but this one kind of took on a mind of its own. I hope you all are enjoying everything. Your reviews have been amazing, please keep them coming. Next up: Miss Mystic Falls! (: **


	8. Give Me Love

**Chapter Eight – Give Me Love**

_Give me love like her, 'cause lately I've been waking up along  
Paint splattered teardrops on my shirt, told you I'd let them go  
And that I'll fight my corner, maybe tonight I'll call you  
After my blood turns into alcohol, no, I just want to hold you. _

"Are you sure you are going to be okay going alone, Care? I'm sure Matt or Jeremy would go with you. Then you don't have to stand alone," Elena asked as the two of them stood in adjacent changing stalls at the local dress shop. With everything else going on in their lives, they had neglected to pick up their dresses for the upcoming town event, leaving it to the last minute. Most of the presentable dresses had already been snatched up, but Caroline had managed to pick through the leftovers and find a few suitable choices for herself and Elena.

"It's really okay," the blonde assured her, pulling the purple organza up to her chest and zipping the side. "I have a lot I need to do as the reigning Miss Mystic Falls. A lot of responsibilities and duties. I'm going to have to talk to people the whole time, my date would just get bored. Besides, Bonnie already tapped Matt to go with her and last time I checked Jeremy was April's escort. At least that's what she told the committee. I will be fine. Last year maybe not, but this year, I don't have much of a choice. I won't be the only one alone anyway, right? You and I can just hang out together once I'm done making the rounds." She walked out of the dressing room waiting for Elena to do the same.

"Actually," Elena stepped out in a deep blue dress that hugged tight around her bust and let out at the waist, "I'm going with Damon. I was supposed to go with Stefan, but since he had to deal with the hybrid problems, I thought it made sense to go with Damon."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Caroline asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know Stefan is gone, but taking Damon as your date is a little strange don't you think?" She cocked her head to the side, "And that dress looks almost identical to the one you wore last year. Next."

"Yours kind of looks like a loofa, so I think you are going to have to try the next one too," Elena pointed out with a small laugh before both girls retreated back into their dressing rooms. "And don't look at it like that. It's not a date. I just don't want to be alone and Damon is going because Connor is still on the loose. This wouldn't be an issue if Klaus hadn't dragged Stefan away."

"He didn't drag him," Caroline said immediately as she pulled down the zipper on her dress, which even Caroline had to admit looked a little bit like loofa. "I mean, it's not like he threatened him or anything. He just needed back up," she back peddled quickly, thankful that Elena couldn't see her face at the moment. She knew the truth; Stefan and Klaus had been in Tirvino, Bulgaria for a few days now. This sword was apparently trickier to find than the first considering they had been there for four days now and turned up nothing. Caroline had guessed that discovering burial sites for ancient hunters was no easy task. As quickly as she wanted this endeavor to be over with, she was beginning to realize they were all going to be stuck working together for some time.

"Well, either way, it just makes sense for Damon to go with me, especially with Connor on the loose again. He's insane, we don't know what he's up to and he knows there are werewolves and vampires and hybrids all weaved into this town. Even if you and I haven't been exposed to him as vampires, the threat is still there. Now get out here and let me know what you think."

"Just a second," Caroline said, pulling her own dress up. She knew that Elena was right. It was a dangerous time for all supernatural beings in Mystic Falls. Then again, when wasn't it? If it wasn't the hunter, it would have been something else. Caroline was sure of that. It was almost laughable remembering back to the times when Klaus was their biggest worry. She pulled on the soft gold dress and buttoned the button just below the nape of her neck.

"So what do you think?" Elena asked, spinning around in a brown and black, lace dress that hit just above her knees.

"I think you are incredibly lucky you get to wear an adorable and comfortable dress when I am stuck in a formal gown," Caroline said, setting her hand on her hip. "You look perfect, just like always. Unfortunately, you will be wearing the wrong Salvatore on your arm," she told her as she turned towards the large mirror. Smoothing down the gold dress, she ignored Elena's look, turning to see the sides and back of her dress in the mirror. "What do you think?"

"I think Tyler is going to regret every stupid decision he made when he was in the woods." Elena offered her friend a smile. Caroline smiled before they both turned back towards the changing rooms to get dressed.

"So any chance I can get you to come over to Tyler's with me to check on the decorations for tomorrow?" Caroline asked hopefully as the pair walked out of the shop, garment bags hung over their arms.

"Unfortunately, no. I have a date with my biology book today. Unlike you, some of us actually have to study to pass our classes," Elena said, pulling her car keys from her purse and pressing the button to unlock the black SUV.

"Damn. I could really use a buffer," Caroline said. She looked disheartened for a fraction of a second before painting on a smile, "It'll be okay. I should really get a prize for all of this being the bigger person stuff. I really excel at getting along with people I don't like." She pulled her own keys out, looking down at the Ford Fiesta parked next to Elena's car. "I'll see you tomorrow, good luck with your Biology." She waved before slipping behind the driver's seat and pulling onto the street.

Caroline awoke early the next morning. It was a bit strange for her. When Stefan and Klaus left, she had been thankful for the break. Working on everything had been exhausting; she was looking forward to spending some time in her own house instead of being at Klaus's ever moment they could spare and turning up no results. She thought she would be thrilled to focus on her own life again for a few days. It may have seemed trivial to the two of them, but cheerleading practice and student council were her world and though it now revolved around vampires and blood, it was nice to be eighteen again for a few days. It was part of an act; being exceptionally ordinary while the boys were gone seemed like the most logical way for Caroline to keep the secret. After four days, she was beginning to miss it. A year ago, she would have laughed about the existence of werewolves and vampires, complained about the possibility of breaking a nail while digging up ancient swords, and now she found herself disappointed she wasn't in Eastern Europe with Stefan and Klaus. She missed the excitement and she felt left out of the loop. Both Stefan and Klaus had stopped returning her text messages the night before. She just wanted to know if there has been any progress made on the sword front, but apparently neither of them deemed it important enough to keep her informed.

Once she finished throwing herself a pity party, she pulled herself out of bed and began to get ready. The Pageant started at two, but Caroline needed to be there at noon to make sure that the workers were getting everything right. Carol would have her head if one thing was screwed up and she wasn't going to give her the opportunity to be right. She showered quickly, blow-drying her hair straight, before getting dressed in a pair of fitted yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Making sure her shoes and make up were in her bag and picked up her garment back and headed down the stairs.

"I'll see you there, right, Mom?" Caroline asked, grabbing an apple out of the bowl sitting on the kitchen island.

"Of course, I just have to swing by the station and then I'll be over there. Try not to knock Tyler out in front of everyone. He's already had enough life or death experiences in front of the town to be just a coincidence. Even if he might deserve it," Liz told her without looking up from the paper sitting in front of her on the kitchen table.

Caroline smirked to herself. "I love you, I'll see you there."

Once she arrived at the Mansion, she set her stuff upstairs in the room that had been designated for the girls to get ready. There were a few already here and she didn't have the heart to tell them that the winner had already been decided. She gave them all hopeful smiles before ducking back out of the room. She had already spotted a mistake on the way in and she had no intention of letting an improperly placed table runner ruin her day. Over all, the party planner had done a spectacular job putting everything together to Caroline's specifications. It looked perfect and she couldn't help the smug smile that adorned her lips when Carol conceded that she thought Caroline had done a wonderful job. She took the compliment as her cue to head up the stairs and change into her dress. The tarnished gold color complimented her skin tone and matched perfectly with the antique diamond drop earrings her mother had lent her for the occasion.

The guests were beginning to arrive by the time Caroline made it downstairs. Everyone seemed to want to talk to her. She felt guilty having fallen behind on all of the charities and clubs and real reasons she had been chosen to be Miss Mystic Falls in the first place. It was too easy to lie and tell them all that school and college applications had taken precedence in the last year; no one even raised an eyebrow. The girls had buzzed around her while she was upstairs getting ready. They asked her all sorts of questions about what the dance was like and what it felt like to walk down those stairs. It all felt like a lifetime ago. She wasn't that girl anymore. She was beginning to feel lost in the crowd when she watched Matt and Bonnie walk through the door.

"Thank God. I was worried you weren't coming. I don't know how much more of this I can take without a little break," Caroline said after making her way over to the two of them, snagging a glass of champagne off one of the trays as she walked by.

"No Elena?" Bonnie asked, doing the same thing as the three of them stood at a table near the corner of the patio.

Caroline shook her head, "Not yet. I'm sure her and Damon will be here soon though, she made a point to tell me about how they were coming together as friends yesterday when we got our dresses." She and Bonnie exchanged looks before each taking a sip of their champagne.

"Where is Tyler?" Bonnie asked, "Any uncomfortable run ins yet?"

"Over there with Ms. I Don't Understand What Formal Means," Caroline said, nodding towards one of the other tables where Tyler was seated looking uncomfortable in his suit next to Hayley who appeared to be wearing a black slip with a jean jacket over top of it. "Carol is fuming. I think that's the only reason she isn't walking around behind the caters and telling them they are doing everything wrong. Seeing Carol's reaction to Hayley's outfit and behavior has been the highlight of my morning."

"Who is that?" Matt asked, nodding his head towards one of the new arrivals.

Bonnie and Caroline both turned to look at the door. Caroline was more than surprised to see Connor standing there. She sucked in a breath and Bonnie and Matt both turned to look at her.

"Who is it, Care?" Bonnie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Hunter who shot Tyler." She bit her lip, looking around to see. Her mind began to race as she thought of all the possibilities. The man wouldn't be here unless he had a reason and Caroline shuttered at the thought of what that might be. Matters were only made worse when Damon and Elena walked through the door. She knew Damon wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he saw him and then everything she, Klaus, and Stefan had done would be for nothing. The boys had picked a truly horrible time to leave town. She couldn't let that happen. She tapped her fingers against her leg as she tried to come up with something. "You guys go tell Tyler so he knows to avoid him. He may be a dick, but we don't need him dead. I'm going to go talk to Damon and Elena."

Bonnie and Matt both nodded before walking in that direction, leaving Caroline standing alone. She slipped past the crowd and walked the long way around the house, leading Damon and Elena back into the house and away from party. She closed the doors to the study once the two of them were inside.

"What's going on Barbie?" Damon asked, annoyed that he was being pulled away before he had even had a drink.

"Connor is here. I don't know why, but if he's here there has to be a reason," Caroline said, pacing the length of the study as they stood there.

"When did he get here?" Elena asked, confused as she leaned against the desk.

"A few minutes before you two. This is incredibly public for him to decide to play Buffy, but I suppose he doesn't have much shame after trying to murder Tyler at a Funeral."

All three of them turned their attention to the door as it slid open and Matt, Bonnie, Tyler, and Hayley walked inside. Caroline tensed at the sight of them, but tried not to let it show. Now wasn't the time to be angry at them, she had bigger problems to deal with.

"What's the plan?" Tyler asked, looking to Damon.

"There is no plan for you. He knows you are a hybrid. The only thing you should be doing is staying in the open and out of his way. Don't go off alone. Don't go off to bang the little wolfy home wrecker-" He paused when Elena smacked the back of his head. "Just don't do anything to get yourself killed. Any of you. I'll take care of this," Damon said. Caroline could tell he was itching to kill something. She could see the look in his eyes, the same one he had given her the night he tried to drain her at the Founder's Day Party. It was a look of vengeance and Caroline understood it. Under any other circumstances, she would have been all for letting Damon take care of Connor, but she couldn't let them kill him. They needed the map written on his body if they were going to have any hope of finding the cure, but she couldn't tell him that.

"Is this really the place to kill someone? It's Miss Mystic Falls. You are going to cause a scene and risk exposing yourself," Caroline pointed out, halting her pacing. When she turned to look at the rest of her friends, she was met with confused faces.

"I'm skilled at the art of surprise, Caroline. It's not like I'm just going to walk to the middle of the dance floor and snap his neck." Damon quipped, not bothering to hide the annoyed tone in his voice.

"He's a human being, hunter or not, we can't just kill him," Bonnie protested.

"If we don't kill him, he's going to start killing us," Elena said, causing everything in the room to raise an eyebrow.

"If we are killing him, I want in. The guy has tried to kill me twice now," Tyler said, crossing his arms.

"No. You don't know what you are doing," Damon said, harshly. "You and wolfy go back to the party and pretend nothing is wrong. If the mayor's son and his new play thing disappear, people are going to start asking questions. And take the quarterback with you. Judgy, go watch the hunter. You are the only one he hasn't seen before. He doesn't know you have anything to do with us. Just make sure he doesn't do anything. Blondie, you go back and do whatever you need to do. They are going to notice if you are missing too, go with her Elena. As soon as he goes off alone, one of us will take him out. He's sketchy, he'll sneak off eventually," Damon instructed. "And don't drink anything. If you think he hasn't spiked everything with Vervain and Wolfs bane then I don't know what to tell you."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Caroline asked again, trying to stall the break.

"Stop questioning me, I know what I'm doing. This isn't my first murder," he said suggestively before sending them all out.

Caroline and Elena walked out of the room together, heading back out to the party. Elena couldn't help noticing her agitation. "Are you okay, Care? I know it can't be easy to be around Hayley and Tyler. Damon isn't making it any easier."

Caroline shook her head. "I'm fine. It's not fun to be around them, but it isn't going to change any time soon so I have to get used to it," she told Elena as she looked around the party, trying to think of a plan. Anything that would stop Damon from killing Connor. "I'll be right back Elena, I just need some air." She walked in the direction of the woods before Elena could protest, pulling her cell phone from her clutch and dialing Stefan's number. No answer. She tried again with a similar result before switching to Klaus and after listening to both of their voicemail boxes multiple times, she grew frustrated. "I don't know what you two are doing that is more important than answering the phone but we have a serious problem! Connor is here and I don't know what he wants, but Damon, Tyler, and Elena want to kill him and I don't know how to convince them not to without telling them why. So I don't care if you are busy digging to China or whatever is on the opposite side of the world from Bulgaria, you need to call me back and tell me what to do!" She whispered harshly into the phone as she paced. She looked at everyone as she made her way back to the party. She didn't even want to think about what Klaus was going to say when he came back and found out Connor was dead.

Connor was smart. They had been watching him for nearly an hour now and he had yet to separate from the crowd. The anticipation was doing nothing for Caroline's nerves as she watched Damon glare at him. She had sent a few more text messages in Klaus and Stefan's direction, but nothing had been returned and there were marks on the table where she had been clicking her nails.

"Caroline are you alright?" Liz asked as she walked up towards her daughter.

"Yes," Caroline said, looking up at her. She kept one eye on Connor over her shoulder. Her breath catching in her throat as he walked towards the house and Damon followed closely. She bit her lip before looking up at her mother. She was just about to head into the house to try to stop Damon when she got an idea. "Mom, this is going to sound crazy, but the man who shot Tyler is here and I need you to arrest him or Damon is going to kill him," she forced out in one breath and Liz looked at her like she was crazy for a moment.

"Where?" Liz asked. Caroline motioned inside, following close behind her mother as they walked in the house. She listened closely for voices and breathing before Caroline motioned up the stairs. Liz pulled her gun from her holster before following Caroline up the stairs and busting into one of the doors where Damon had Connor pinned to a wall by his throat. "Thank you Damon, I'll take it from here." She pulled her handcuffs from her belt and stepped passed a confused Damon. She began to read Connor his rights as she cuffed him, before beginning to walk down to the squad car outside. The arrest caused quite a scene in the party, leaving Carol standing bewildered in the foyer as the candidates for Miss Mystic Falls peaked over the railing to see what the commotion was. Damon shot Caroline a daggered glare before heading down the stairs to join Elena. Caroline knew none of them would understand, but she had a few hours to come up with a good explanation. She would be busy with the pageant duties for a while.

Looking over the railing, Caroline caught Carol's eyes and the two shared a look before Carol called for everyone's attention. "Now that the excitement is out of the way and my son's would be assassin is in custody, we have even more reason to celebrate," she said with a smile, perfectly composed in the face of danger. Caroline had to admire that about her. The world could be burning around her and Carol would still maintain her composure. "I think this is the perfect opportunity to introduce you to your 2012 candidates for Miss Mystic Falls."

As they began to announce the girls one by one, Caroline ducked into the bathroom to make sure that all of the action had not messed up her hair or make up. This was the part of the day she was least looking forward to. She could be independent all she wanted, but there was still going to be an awkward moment when she reached the bottom of the steps and no one was waiting for her. Maybe she should have accepted Elena's offer to ask one of the boys to dance with her. Even Tyler's offer, albeit forced, was beginning to sound better than being alone as April walked down the stairs to Jeremy.

"...And our reigning Miss Mystic Falls, Miss Caroline Forbes..." Caroline walked towards the stairs, painting a smile on her face as she came into view. "...And her escort Klaus Mikaelson." Her head craned to the bottom of the stairs where Klaus was standing in a suit and she was sure she had never been more confused in her life. He held his hand out to her and she had no choice but to take it, walking out to the terrace with him.

"Now you choose to show up?" Caroline asked through her teeth as she kept smiling at the crowd.

"Cell phones tend not to work at forty thousand feet. We had barely landed when your first message came through. Anger suits you, love," he told her, the smirk never leaving his lips as they followed through on the dance. Klaus bowed his head, kissing her hand as she curtsied along with the other girls before he pulled her into his arms, the song beginning to fill the space. She had danced with him several times now and it always surprised her how easily her body moved with his. He was the perfect lead, something she attributed to a thousand years of seduction. His hand cradled the small of her back, thumb brushing against the sliver of skin the back of her dress revealed each time they moved in perfect unison. "So where is Connor? I sincerely hope you were able to stave off Damon's homicidal tendencies long enough for us to return to Mystic Falls."

"I took care of it actually," she said, her hand gripping his as they turned around the floor, her dress swirling around them. He raised an eyebrow, a silent request for her to elaborate. "Damon was about to kill him and I couldn't let that happen. I told my mom that Connor was the one who shot Tyler and she arrested him. She's probably booking him into the system right now and if I've learned anything from being her daughter and watching Law and Order reruns, she can hold him for three days before she has to let him go without a warrant. It should buy us some time."

His face registered surprise before his eyebrows rose in approval. "Thinking quick on your feet is a valuable quality, Caroline. I'm not at all surprised it's one you possess," he said, allowing her to spin away from him before pulling her back, her chest flush against his own. He swore he felt her breath quicken, but refrained from commenting. "It seems you were more than capable of taking care of things in our absence."

Her breath caught as she looked up at him, her chest brushing against his with each breath as their movement slowed along with the tempo of the music. Her tongue darted out subconsciously to wet her lips. "You two didn't leave me with much of a choice," she breathed out. "So where is Stefan?" she asked, attempting to dispel the obvious tension.

"Looking for Elena," he nodded towards something. As they turned, Caroline saw Stefan standing off the side of the crowd watching Elena and Damon dance and laugh with each other.

"Looks like he found her," Caroline said, shaking her head before turning her attention back to Klaus. "I take it your two found the sword?"

"It took a while, but yes. We located the sword in a patch of land just outside of the city. Next time I will have to remember to ask your witch to be more specific with the location. It would have saved us a lot of time. Perhaps you would not have spent the afternoon alone without an escort."

"I don't recall asking you to be my date."

He pulled her closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke. "The look of relief washing over your face when you walked down the stairs says otherwise, sweetheart. No one this lovely should be left standing off on the sidelines. Beauty such as yours should be admired." As the music stopped, he pulled back just in time to see her try desperately to hide the smile spreading across her lips.

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! So this chapter took on a life of it's own and got way long. I hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know what you think!**


	9. Speed of Sound

**Chapter Nine – Speed of Sound**

_How long before I get in?  
Before it starts, before I begin?  
How long before you decide?  
Before I know what it feels like?_

"So where do you think the next one is going to be?" Caroline asked as she took a seat on the large leather couch in the living room of the boarding house. She wasn't sure where Damon was, but if the awkward run in at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant was any indication, she guessed he was avoiding Stefan. She still hadn't spoken to either Damon or Elena since she had gone behind Damon's back to keep Connor alive without much of an explanation. Neither of them would understand and Caroline had yet to come up with a good excuse for her actions avoiding them seemed like a better option. She wasn't sure that there was one outside of the truth. Bonnie had told her to tell them that she had a problem with killing someone, but Tyler had been quick to accuse her of doing it out of spite. She had seriously considered punching him again, but she kept her composure, exiting the dance as quickly as possible. Hiding out in her house seemed like a better idea than trying to venture out, unfortunately, she and Stefan were supposed to meet her mother and Klaus at the station so they could speak to Connor while he was detained.

"I don't know. That's the point of Bonnie being involved, isn't it? My best guess is somewhere in Europe. There seems to be a pattern to where these guys drop dead," Stefan said, sitting in the chair opposite her. "And here probably isn't the best place to talk about this. Damon isn't here right now, but you never know when he's going to make an appearance."

"Alright, let's talk about what happened at the pageant then?" Caroline said, leaning on the arm of the sofa.

"You mean how you spent the rest of the pageant dancing with Klaus and you drove him home?" Stefan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was trying to avoid Damon and Tyler and you two came straight from the airport, I was being nice. You weren't exactly around to take him home. Klaus is like Damon and Tyler repellent," she said.

"He could have walked home. He is a thousand year old hybrid that you hate; you seem to have forgotten that last part."

"I haven't forgotten." She shook her head before looking over at him. "And that's not even what I was referring to. I'm talking about you skating out of there before you even spoke to Elena. You two saw each other and then you left. I know it's weird seeing her dance with Damon, but she told me they were only going as friends so I don't want you-"

"I think now is a great time for us to go meet Klaus and your mother at the station. I would rather listen to Connor talk about how much he hates vampires than think about Elena dancing with my brother," Stefan said, pushing himself up from the chair. There wasn't anger in his voice, but Caroline knew not to push it anymore. Instead, she followed him out of the room, the two of them walking towards the front door as Damon walked through it.

"What are you two doing? Planning Connor's escape? You seem to be so keen on making sure he lives to murder and maim another day, Blondie," Damon commented, looking from Stefan to Caroline.

"She was right to do what she did. You can't just go around killing people in public Damon. We need to know more about this hunter business before we off our only connection to it. Killing him was a bad idea all around," Stefan defended Caroline as he pulled his car keys from the table next to the door. Caroline had never been happier Stefan was back. At least he knew what to say to Damon because she knew whatever she said was going to sound like a lie.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Remind me to avoid the morality police. I don't recall you being such a buzz kill, Caroline. I guess that's what happens when you spent too much time around him." He shrugged his shoulders before walking towards the stairs, "Oh and Stefan, your girlfriend is looking for you."

Caroline watched as Stefan's shoulders tensed. He had read between the lines just as she had and knew that Damon must have just come from seeing Elena. She bit her lip, "Do you want to go find Elena? I'm sure Klaus and I can handle this whole Connor business, it's not like my mom won't be there," she offered as they walked out the front door.

He shook his head, "It's fine. I'll talk to her afterwards. This is important."

The ride over to the police station was tense and silent. Caroline had no interest in talking about what happened at the pageant and she knew Stefan wanted to talk about Elena and Damon even less. She had not considered how this all would affect Stefan. No matter what happened he always seemed to be fine, but the look on his face spoke of worry and concern. His relationship with Elena had been rocky at best since Elena's transition and things seemed to be tanking quickly. Elena was resistant to talk to Caroline or Bonnie about it whenever they asked. She wished her best friend would be a little more forthcoming with the details of her transition. Caroline had already been through the ringer when it came to becoming a well-adjusted vampire; she knew she could help Elena if she would allow her to. She knew Stefan would much prefer Elena coming to Caroline for advice than Damon.

Once they arrived at the police station, Caroline and Stefan climbed out of Stefan's car and headed inside the station. Caroline raised an eyebrow when she saw Klaus standing there talking to her mother. When he saw that they had walked in, he turned towards Caroline and Stefan, meeting her look of disapproval with one of amusement.

"It's high time you two showed up. It's in bad taste to keep a murderer waiting," Klaus spoke, uncrossing his arms.

Liz looked over at the three of them, the disapproval inked all over her face. "I've cleared the officers out of the station for an hour, maybe a little less. It's against several laws to let you in there and another to have only one officer in the station so I hope you find out what you need quickly. He's right back there." She pointed as the two boys began to walk followed by Caroline; Liz stopped her before she got very far. "I don't know if I want you back there Caroline."

"What? I am just as much a part of this as these two," she said, looking at Stefan and Klaus for someone to defend her.

"She has a point, Care," Stefan said, giving her an apologetic look.

"You have yet to be exposed as a vampire, Caroline. It's safer for you to remain human in his eyes," Klaus spoke, genuine concern flashing across his face.

"Seriously?" she huffed before dropping into the chair behind her mother's desk as Klaus and Stefan walked through the back door and into the holding cell area. She looked over at Liz, "Was that really necessary? I'm a vampire, it's not like I can't handle myself."

"That man shot Tyler with a stake in front of an entire church of people. He doesn't care if you are a vampire or if the most powerful vampire in the world cares about you. He would kill you in a second. Now that you are a vampire, I don't get the opportunity to protect you very often, Caroline. Don't take that away from me just because you don't have to listen to me. I'm still your mother, vampire or human," Liz told her, leaning against the desk.

"I think most mothers would let their eternally seventeen year old vampire daughters speak to the psycho vampire hunter actually. You let me take History with Alaric," she quipped back. Liz looked none too amused.

"You aren't as funny as you think you are," Liz said, shaking her head.

"I think I'm hilarious," Caroline added with a smirk.

"You've been spending too much time with Klaus. He's starting to rub off on you," Liz pointed out. Caroline froze at this statement, a horrified look taking over her face.

"I don't know if that's possible. He's not the type of person who rubs off on people." Caroline shook her head, playing with one of the magnetic paper weights resting on the desk.

Liz shook her head, "I have to make some phone calls." She walked away leaving Caroline to her own devices at the desk. She let out a long sigh before using her vampire hearing to try to tune into the conversation. They weren't getting anything out of him. She had heard Klaus threaten him multiples times. Connor seemed unfazed by anything they were saying. Connor did not seem like the type of person who gave up information with simple threats. He also didn't seem to know much, which Caroline suspected was the main problem. The tattoos had simply appeared one day and he didn't know how or why. Unfortunately, Klaus and Stefan didn't seem to be in the mood to give up and Caroline was growing bored. She leaned back in her mother's desk chair, tossing a stress ball up and catching it.

"Let's go," Stefan said, his frustration evident as Caroline snapped up in the chair and looked over at the two boys walked out of the room with her.

"I take it you didn't get anything out of him?" Caroline asked, standing up from the chair.

"He doesn't know anything. The tattoo won't spread unless he kills people and it hasn't completed yet. So unfortunately, we are a bit stuck unless the swords can tell us more," Klaus filled in the blanks calmly.

"Then why are you so upset?" she asked Stefan as he raced towards the door, but once again Klaus beat him to the punch.

"Doppelganger problems," Klaus whispered as he and Caroline followed behind Stefan towards the door.

Stefan turned back to look at the two of them, "Elena asked me to meet her at the boarding house as soon as possible. I don't know what this is about, but I would like to find out sooner rather than later. So Caroline, your car is at my house, let's go." She nodded, wordlessly following him to the car.

Just as the trip to the police station had been, the ride home was silent and tense. Caroline didn't dare disturb it, whatever was running through Stefan's head did not need to be let out. She really just wanted to go home and not think about Connor or the swords or vampires for a while. The sooner they got back to the boarding house, the sooner she could go home and park herself in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn and a bag of plasma.

Elena was perched on the hood of Caroline's far when they pulled into the driveway and she did not look pleased.

"Hey Elena," Caroline said, sliding out of the car. She was met by an icy greeting, a nod and a stiff hello. She glanced over at Stefan, but he didn't look back. "I think that's my cue to leave. I'll see you two la-"

"Are you two sleeping together?" Elena blurted out.

"What?" Caroline and Stefan both answered back in unison.

"I just want to know the truth. I can handle it, I just want you both to be honest with me."

"Elena, that's not at all what happened at all!" Caroline said, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "No, that's just gross. Absolutely not. I know I was there at one point, but that would be like having sex with my brother. I just, no, I would sooner stake myself then go to bed with Stefan. No offense."

"Thank you, Caroline," Stefan said before shaking his head. "What she's trying to say is we're just friends, you know that, Elena."

"You two have been spending all of this extra time together," Elena said, the bravado she had stood so firm with a few minutes before beginning to crumble as she realized she was wrong.

"Because we've been working control stuff so I can help you better. Caroline is the closest thing I have to a success story-"

"Hey!" Caroline put her hands on her hips.

"You know what I mean." He looked at Caroline before looking back to Elena. "Caroline has just been telling me about the things she does to maintain her control so well so I can help you better, Elena. We're just friends. Caroline is practically my sister. There's nothing going on there."

"Exactly. I'm going to let you two talk," Caroline nodded before walking over to her car. She had to admit she was impressed at how quickly he managed to come up with a convincing lie. Elena seemed to believe it completely, her face turned to one of guilt and if they had not been sneaking around to find the curse, Caroline would have felt guilty. She climbed into her car as she watched Elena and Stefan walk into the house, making her feel better about heading home. She had barely gotten into the house when her phone signaled that she had received a message.

**Mom**: _Connor made bail. He just left the station._

**Author's Note: I'm so glad you guys loved the last chapter so much, your response was amazing. Please keep it coming! **


	10. Clarity

**Chapter Ten – Clarity**

_Cause you are the piece of me  
I wish I didn't need  
Chasing relentlessly  
Still fight and I don't know why  
If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy  
If our love's insanity why are you my clarity._

"So why don't you need the sword this time? Because last time you needed the sword to do this?" Caroline asked skeptically as she stood in an empty classroom. On the desk between her and Bonnie laid a world map, waiting to be spelled. Caroline was still hesitant about Bonnie's involvement in this situation. She trusted her best friend, but where Klaus was concerned, she wasn't exactly sure Bonnie would always tell the truth. Caroline had volunteered to help her with the spell. It had been a stressful week with Connor on the loose. Everyone had been on edge, wondering when the hunter would make his move once again. Their focus had been on finding him, all plans for the swords had been put on hold until he was safely in the holding cell in the Salvatore's basement, but after he made no moves within a week, they had no choice but to push forward. Caroline was still uneasy about it. Either Connor was bidding his time and waiting to make a move when they least expected it or he had left town to avoid them all. Both options were bad for Caroline. Tyler was most notably on edge. Everyone knew he would be the first person Connor went after if and when he made his move. They hybrids that had been stationed at the Lockwood mansion had been pulled back after Klaus deemed that Tyler wasn't worth protecting.

"I've already done the spell once so I have the essence of the sword already. Since the swords are spelled so they can't be found all at once or all by the same person, the spells are tricky. Witches wanted to counter this spell as much as possible. I don't understand it myself, if the cure is really real, it doesn't make much sense for them not to want to use it," Bonnie commented, smoothing out the map on the table. Caroline raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Bonnie was right, if the cure was everything it was cracked up to be, then why did the witches work so hard to make sure that no one could find it? She was already suspicious, but now she felt them just.

"Why would they want to keep it away from us?" she asked, testing the waters to see how much Bonnie knew.

"I'm not sure exactly. Witches are vengeful. They think vampires and werewolves should be punished, even if sometimes it isn't their fault or they haven't done anything wrong. Witches see the world in black and white, Caroline. You know that much already. If there is a cure, they want you to earn it," Bonnie suggested.

"Well that's helpful. I don't know why I expected anything less though. I guess having the cure gift wrapped and hand delivered if probably a little too much to ask?" she said with a small laugh.

"Unfortunately, the witches from the other side aren't exactly in the business of doing favors. They are still punishing me for bringing Jeremy back to life and that was almost a year ago. They hold grudges and as far as vampires are concerned, it's the whole race they hate."

"That's comforting." Caroline sighed, setting her hands on the desk. "Let's just get the spell over with. I'm going to try not to get my hopes up about this working on any level. I don't know how Stefan feels about this cure, but I wonder if we're just humoring Klaus sometimes."

"How is he going to react if the cure isn't real?" Bonnie asked, pausing in her preparations to look up to Caroline.

"I honestly have no idea, but it's not going to be good. It's kind of sad really. I mean his whole life revolves around making these hybrids. He's been alive for a thousand years and he's just miserable because he's alone and he's spent all of his time trying to make these things. Now it's just gone," Caroline said before looking up to see Bonnie's confused expression.

"Did you just sympathize with Klaus?" Bonnie asked, her voice dripping with disgust.

"No, I'm just saying that it's kind of depressing and a little sad," Caroline said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You've been spending way too much time with him and Stefan. I can't wait to get this over with so I can get you away from him and we can all get back to normal. Maybe if he accepts that Elena is a vampire and there's nothing that can be done about it, he will leave town. There's nothing left for him here. He's just wasting his time. The last thing I need is for him to kidnap you again," Bonnie said, before lighting a match.

"Yeah, maybe," Caroline said quietly. It struck her as odd. That feeling in her chest when Bonnie spoke about him kidnapping her. She opened her mouth to protest; Klaus wouldn't kidnap her again, but thought better of it and remained silent. Klaus was a lot of things, horrible things, but he seemed to respect her decisions. With the exception of the trip to Italy, he had never forced her hand at anything. He could have compelled her or threatened her to get his way, but he didn't. She hadn't considered that Klaus would leave town. If there was no chance of turning Elena back to her former self, would Klaus stick around? She wouldn't blame him for leaving. This town was like the center of a vortex that took away the happiness of everyone who touched it. If it wasn't for her mother and friends, she wouldn't be there. Mystic Falls represented everything about her past and getting away from that seemed smart. Perhaps Klaus had the right idea in all of his attempts to leave town. Most days she thought they would all be safer away from this town.

"Here is it," Bonnie said, handing Caroline a scrap of people.

Caroline took it into her hands and stared at it for a moment before looking up at Bonnie, "Really?"

"The magic doesn't lie. That's kind of the beauty of it," Bonnie said, putting her books back in her bag and pulling it over her shoulders.

"But New York City? What would a sword be doing in New York? What would a hunter be doing there? I mean the rest were in Europe and now all of the sudden one is three hours away. It seems too good to be true."

"Well it is true. We just don't know where in Manhattan is it and it's a big island. Not to mention it's all concrete. Is Klaus going to tear down the Empire State Building to find this thing?" Caroline asked, shoving the piece of paper into her pocket as the two of them walked towards the door.

"I wouldn't put it past him, would you?"

Caroline sighed, shaking her head. "Not really."

"Caroline!" The blonde froze and glanced over at Bonnie.

"Maybe if we keep walking he won't think it's you."

"That's entirely possible."

"You know I can hear you talking right?" Tyler asked from behind them, jogging to catch up with her and Bonnie.

"I have to go. My dad is coming home today," Bonnie said, giving Caroline a sympathetic look before walking off.

Caroline stared at her, the betrayal fresh in her eyes before turning back to Tyler. How could Bonnie possibly justify leaving her there alone with Tyler? Her father could wait five minutes so that Caroline didn't have to be there. There had to be something in the best friend handbook about this and Caroline was not the least bit amused. "This is really not a good time, Tyler." She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

"Just give me five minutes, I really do need to talk to you," he asked, his eyes pleading with her.

She sighed, silently weighing her options and trying to decide if she could think of a good enough excuse on the fly to get out of having this conversation. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, shaking her head, "Fine," she finally spat out. She looked up at him, a stern look overtaking her face, "but you have five minutes. Literally five minutes, then I'm leaving. I have more important things to do then listen to you feel sorry for me because you cheated."

"That's not what I'm going to do," Tyler said. He stared at his hands for a moment and she couldn't quite read his expression.

"Your five minutes is dwindling." She raised her eyebrows challengingly.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Tyler burst before reining it back in. He took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face. "I'm sorry," he said again in a much quieter tone. "I made a mistake with Hayley. I should have never gone there. Not when you were waiting at home. I don't know how it happened or why it happened, but it did and I can't take it back. All I can do is apologize, genuinely, because you didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve to be hurt like this."

"You're right. I didn't. I didn't deserve any of this," she said, shaking her head. "It's not the cheating that bothered me. I mean it did, don't get me wrong, but more than that, it was how much I wanted to help and how far you went to deny me that right as your girlfriend to be there for the person I cared about. I just wanted to be there for you and you went somewhere else."

"I didn't mean to, Care. I thought I could do it on my own. I wanted to, for you. I wanted to come back and be everything you needed me to be, free from Klaus, but I couldn't do it. Hayley was there and she helped and somewhere along the way, I fell for her. It's horrible and it was-"

"A dick move," Caroline butted in.

"It was," he sighed.

"You really love her, don't you?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know if I love her, but I know that I need her. She just understands me, everything I'm going through all of the time. I know she's not a hybrid, but I already understand the vampire side. It's the wolf I've never gotten and she makes it all make sense."

Caroline nodded. As angry as she was with him for cheating on her, a small part of her understood, she wasn't close to forgiving him and she didn't think they would ever be friends again, but at least she got it. "It's funny how that works," she said, looking down at the ground. "Sometimes what you need and what you want are two completely different things and it doesn't matter how hard you try to force it, you'll never be able to fit a square peg through a round hole. I think no matter how hard we tried or how much it worked at the beginning, that's kind of what we were." She nodded, taking a deep breath.

"That's not exactly what I would say, but I think that works," Tyler said, giving her a confused expression.

They stayed quiet for a few minutes before Caroline took a deep breath and looked over at him. "Thank you for apologizing." She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, fumbling with her keys. "If Hayley is what you need then on some weird level I'm happy for you."

"Does that mean you forgive me?"

"No, I still don't really want to be anywhere near you right now and I'm still resisting the urge to punch again you with a lot of difficulty right now," Caroline said, shaking her head, "But I hate you just a little bit less now." She nodded once before turning towards the door and slipping behind the driver's seat of her car. She tried not to think about it. Even Tyler, who had done the worst thing she could possibly think of, was happy and she couldn't help but we happy for him. It didn't mean she didn't want to punch him or Hayley on sight, but she found she couldn't quite bring herself to hate them completely. If this was what growing up felt like, she wasn't sure she liked it.

Once she stopped her car, she looked up at the house she was parked in front of. She had promised she would let him know where the next sword was after they were done with the spell, she just hadn't expected to run into Tyler on the way. Shaking off whatever she was feeling, she wandered into the house, looking around the first floor. On a whim, she headed up the stairs towards the room she had found the sketches in earlier. He was standing in front of a large canvas, painting knife in his hand as he smeared a bit of yellow paint across the stark white canvas. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door way watching him for a minute; the way his back flexed underneath his fitted sweater when he reached for more paint and his hand moved with the most delicate motion as he dabbed the canvas.

"It's rude to stare, Caroline," he said without turning around. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke. She felt silly for not assuming he would know she was there watching him. He was a thousand year old hybrid, Caroline could sense when someone walked into the room before she turned into a vampire.

"I-I just did the spell with Bonnie. We know where the next sword is," she said, stumbled over her words for a moment before recovering.

He set down the painting knife before turning around to face her, "Anywhere interesting or will we be digging through the dessert again?"

She took a few steps forward, pulling the scrap of paper from her pocket. "New York City. Bonnie didn't have specifics, but it's somewhere on the island." She offered it to him.

"Well that should be easy to find," he scoffed, looking down at the burnt shred of map she had handed him.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out."

"Are you alright, Caroline? You seem a little off," he questioned, wiping the oil paint from his hands as he spoke to her.

"I'm fine, just had a weird run in with Tyler on the way over here." She shook her head before looking up to him, "Did you just call me Caroline?

"I was under the impression that was your name," he spoke sardonically. "Now what did Tyler do this time?

"No, I know, that," she said dumbfounded before shaking off her confusion. "Nothing. He apologized." Her brow creased in thought, hesitating for a moment before going on, "You just always call me love or sweetheart, I don't recall you actually using my name before."

"You don't seem to enjoy my terms of endearment, I thought perhaps you would prefer your given name," he suggested setting down the rag.

"Oh," she said simply. He eyes lingering on the floor for a moment before looking up at him. "You missed a spot." She pointed at his cheek, watching him as he wiped it with his hand. She frowned, "You still didn't...here." Tentatively, she reached her hand up, sweeping her thumb under his left eye and wiping away the dark paint. She wiped it on his rag before her eyes returned to his, which were still fixed upon her. Her eyes flicked down to his lips for a fraction of a second before returning to his, her breath bated. "Do you think it's real?" she asked, tucking a blonde curl behind her ear as she tried to focus on anything but his lips. "The cure I mean?" She had asked him about the cure before, but his answer had not been very helpful.

"I would like to hope so," he said honestly, letting out a breath he had not realized he was holding. "We won't know until we get there, I suppose."

She bit her lip contemplating this answer for a moment, "It's just something Bonnie said made me think. If it's really a cure, why would the witches hide it? If they hate vampires so much, wouldn't they want us to turn back?"

"I have considered that myself," Klaus admitted, his hands falling to his sides. "I don't have an answer for you, I'm afraid. It's possible it's hidden so those who would destroy it cannot find it so easily. There are vampires and hybrids, myself included, who have no interest in turning back. Mass hysteria would ensure if word of this cure got out. There are some who would wish to destroy it. The alternative is grim."

"You wouldn't even consider it if the cure was real? Being human again?" she asked curiously.

He shook his head, "No, I have been this way for far too long, a human life holds no appeal I'm afraid. Why would I want to be mortal when I am the most powerful creature in the world? Spitting in the face of evolution, my dear," he smirked.

She chuckled, shaking her head, "I don't think vampires, werewolves, and hybrids are exactly what Charles Darwin had in mind when he put pencil to paper on the theory of evolution."

"That does not make it inapplicable," he countered. "I take it you have intentions of using the cure, should it truly exist?"

She tilted her head as she thought about how to answer that question. "I don't know really," she said, shaking her head. "I had plans. Goals. All of which became completely negated when I became a vampire, but I don't think I want any of that anymore. I think the thing I miss the most is the possibility. As a vampire, I can travel the world and meet new people. I can explore and accomplish. The world is at my fingertips, but the simple things are gone. I'll never grow old or have children. I'll never feel cold or hot. They all seem so silly when I say them out loud." She let out a nervous laugh, looking down at the floor.

"It's basic human instinct to want those things, Caroline." He reached out, his thumb and forefinger catching her chin gently and raising her head.

"I'm not human anymore," she said softly, her eyes not leaving his.

"Human is an identifier. You have more humanity than anyone I've ever met, sweetheart," he said sincerely.

Once again, Caroline found herself holding her breath. There was something about his lips that entranced her, beckoning her closer and inviting her to experience them again. She had experienced it before, but it wasn't enough. She wanted more and it wasn't a spell. It wasn't under the enchantment of Italy or what she had described to Elena as a temporary bat of Stockholm syndrome. It was just him and her alone and completely of their own volition. Her eyes fluttered closed as he brought her closer, their lips barely beginning to brush before her phone started demanding attention.

Cursing against his lips, she pulled back and looked at the phone, only answering it because she saw Stefan's name. She took a step back and pressed it to her ear, listening to Stefan's frantic voice. "Okay, okay. I'll be right there. I promise. No, I'm just- I'll be home in a few minutes. Just don't do anything until I get there," she spoke with certainty, before hanging up and shoving the phone in her pocket. Klaus gave her a quizzical expression and she shook her head. "I-I have to go. Stefan's in trouble."

**Author's Note: Hey guys, please keep reviewing! I swear that's why I'm writing so quickly. Normally I am not this quick with updates. I made this story my nanowrimo story so that definitely plays a part as well. So what do you guys think the trouble is?**


	11. Safe Pain

**Chapter Eleven – Safe Pain**

_If you knew  
What I know,  
Would you try?  
Before your time  
Has run on you  
And worn you down  
Is there time?  
To follow just one desire_

Caroline slipped behind the passenger's seat of her car and whipped out of the driveway. She knew they should talk about what had just transpired, but there was time for that later. Right now, her best friend needed her and she couldn't think about anything else. The drive seemed to take forever despite the fact that her house was not far from Klaus's mansion. Her mother was working the nightshift, leaving the driveway empty aside from Stefan's car as she parked out front. He was sitting on the front porch with his head in his hands and the sight broke Caroline's heart.

He looked up as she walked towards him and it was clear that he was trying hard to hold it together. "I didn't want to just barge in when no one was home." He pushed himself up from the stairs as she walked closer.

"My mom is at work," Caroline said as she looked up at him. She wanted to ask what happened, but she knew he would tell her when he was ready to talk about it. When she made her way over to him, she simply wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. He seemed to collapse into her, making her stumble back a step under his weight before catching them both. His face buried against her shoulder as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. They stood on her porch just like that for what seemed like hours. Caroline didn't push him, she just waited. Letting him let it all out without knowing what really happened. "Let's go inside, Stef." She felt him nod before leading him into the house. She sat him down on the couch and went into the kitchen, trying decide if tea or alcohol was better for this occasion. She still wasn't entirely sure what had happened yet. She had only managed to catch a few words out of him when he called her earlier: Elena, bed, Damon.

Caroline walked back into the room with a coffee cup in one hand and a bottle of tequila in the other. "I wasn't sure what would help more," said, holding both up as she walked over to him. She sat down next to him as he took the bottle of tequila out of her hands, taking a long swig from it. She folded her hands in her lap, watching him for a minute. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

Stefan slowly looked over at her, running his hand over his face. "I checked the woods out by the Lockwood property for Connor. Damon already cleared out the trailer and torched it, but I thought Connor might be back there around the same area where we found it in the first place. Elena told me she was having a girl's night with you and Bonnie so I wouldn't see her tonight. When I came back from not finding anything, I walked upstairs when I heard voices. Elena was almost dressed by the time I got there, but I could tell." He brought the bottle to his lips once again, barely wincing at the burn as it hit his throat. "She tried to apologize, they both did. Elena said it just happened, but it's been brewing for a while. I think I've just been pretending not to see it and hoping it's just my imagination."

Caroline rubbed his back as he spoke, letting his head fall into his hands. She had never been so angry with Elena. For all of the time Elena had pretended to be better than her or attempted to make her feel bad for acting on an emotion. Had she not seen everything that Caroline had just gone through with Tyler? Had she not seen how much cheating had hurt her? Then to turn around and do it to Stefan, she didn't understand. It wasn't a surprise to Caroline. She had seen it brewing since Stefan and Klaus left last summer, but so had Elena. They had talked about this. Caroline assumed her friend would be smart enough to end things with Stefan before exploring what was between her and Damon, but apparently she was wrong. "It's not your fault, Stefan."

"I didn't do enough." He looked down at the bottle in his hands, setting it on the table in his effort to remain stoic. "Things were fine when she was human, but now that she's a vampire, everything is different. She's not the same Elena. No the one that fell in love with me, not the one I fell in love with. I think we were both clinging to each other and hoping things got better, but they aren't. She took matters into her own hands."

Caroline scoffed before looking over at him. "Well, her loss then. We're not going to sit around here and mope though. What do you want to do?" she asked, her face taken over with a new level of determination.

"Is drinking an option?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She gave him a look, "No. Well, yes, it can be involved, but it cannot be the exclusive event." She shook her head. "We can go hunting? I can stomach the bunnies and cute woodland creatures for you," she suggested, biting her bottom lip. "We can go to a strip club! You can look at naked girls, I can play wing woman. Or we can go to a regular bar. I don't know. Whatever you want. I just don't want you to think about it because thinking about it is the worst part. I mean you are lucky you only saw the aftermath and didn't actually walk in on it. It took me days to stop imagining them sweaty and writhing. It's just so-"

"I wasn't thinking about it until you started describing it," he pointed out, bringing the bottle to his lips once again.

Caroline shrunk back into the couch. "Sorry," she mumbled. "What I was getting at is that I know what you are going through and I'm here for you, whatever you need. When it happened to me, you forced me out of my depression and out of the country and I felt better. I'm just trying to do the same for you."

"Are you going to snap my neck and put me on a plane with Klaus too?" he asked, his lips hinting at a smile.

"I'm a little bit nicer than that," she nodded with a smile. "Bonnie told me where the next sword is. We could just leave and road trip to New York. You can get out of Mystic Falls for a bit. It couldn't hurt. You and I would have so much fun in the car!"

"What about Klaus? Does he know?" Stefan asked.

"Actually, I was with him when you called," she hesitated. Luckily, Stefan was too preoccupied with his break up to be concerned about what she was doing with Klaus. "He knows all about it already. I'm sure he won't mind if we get a head start. He might be happy he doesn't have to do the work this time."

"I actually think that's a great idea, Care. We can leave in the morning. I don't think I'm up for the drive tonight."

"Perfect. I think I know just the thing for tonight." She sprung up from the couch and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Stefan confused on the couch. A few moments later, she returned with an armful of snack food, another bottle of alcohol, and a stack of DVDs. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 30 Days of Night, Dawn of the Dead, and the bloodiest movie of all times, Dead Alive. We're not going to think about anything that has anything to do with romance tonight. Just people getting their heads ripped, bitten, sawed, or burned off," she told him with a gleeful smile.

He just smiled and shook his head, motioning for her to start the first movie. Stefan wasn't sure if it would actually help, but it would certainly serve as a distraction. It would put off thinking about Elena and Damon until the morning and he was all for not thinking about it.

Half way through 30 Days of Night, Stefan managed a laugh.

"This is really what passes for vampires these days?" he pointed the neck of his bottle toward the TV.

"It's better than True Blood and Twilight," Caroline pointed out, popping another handful of popcorn into her mouth.

"It's just so unrealistic," he complained.

"Well, we do kind of try to keep people from knowing we exist. It's not like they had a consulting vampire on the movie set to tell them what they were doing wrong. I think that would defeat the purpose of us living in secret." She tucked her legs underneath herself. "I mean, it's a good thing. People think we are completely different. If we needed to defend ourselves, outside of the council, most people think garlic and holy water and crucifixes will ward off vampires. They don't realize it's just vervain. The only thing those movies actually get right is the stakes and the sun."

"We can thank The Five for the world knowing those two little tidbits of information according to Klaus," he told her, bringing the bottle to his lips once again.

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yep, he said they exposed vampires by putting them in the sun and letting them burn. Those stories were passed through the generations and became what we know as myth today. They enforced staking but it started as something else entirely. That comes from people staking their dead love ones to their coffins so they couldn't come back to life and harm the rest of the family. Trust me, rationale for why people do the things they do has grown leaps and bounds in recent years," he explained to her.

"People were weird." She shook her head.

"You have no idea. You weren't around to witness the 60s. Or the 80s for that matter." He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"You mean you weren't a flower child, Stef?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Do I strike you as someone who would wear bell bottoms and floral button ups?"

She pretended to think about it for a moment before descending into another alcohol fueled fit of giggles.

Halfway through Dawn of the Dead, Stefan was drunk and Caroline was trying to keep him on the couch.

"Maybe I should just go over there and talk to them both?" Stefan asked, stumbling back onto the couch after Caroline gently pushed him back towards it.

"I think that's a really bad idea. I think you should eat some more popcorn and then we'll watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If you leave now, we can't go to New York in the morning," Caroline pointed out, setting the bowl of popcorn in his lap.

"Are you sure?" he asked and Caroline wasn't sure she has ever seen him like this. Stefan was always so in control. Even when he was in ripper mode, he was deliberate with all his actions. He just looked a little lost and she hated seeing him like that.

"I'm positive," she reassured him, patting his knee. "Staying here is the best thing we can do."

Halfway through Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Stefan was asleep.

Caroline reached for the remote on the table, turning the volume all the way down so it didn't wake him while she cleaned up the all of the loose popcorn and wrappers from candy. She put the empty bottles into the sink before walking back to the living room. He had a rough night, none of which he deserved. She knew she couldn't make things better, but getting him out of town for a few days seemed like a good idea. It had worked for her after all. Pulling the blanket off the back of the couch, she carefully placed it over Stefan. Her mother had done it to her countless times when she was a child and even if vampires couldn't get could, there was still something comforting about having a blanket.

Caroline needed to get everything ready for the morning if they were going to get out of here first thing. Walking into the kitchen, she pulled a pad from the drawer and wrote a quick note on it, letting Stefan know she was going to get some of his clothes from the boarding house in case he woke up while she was gone. Seeing Elena and Damon wasn't exactly on her list of things to do, but it was better than Stefan going over there. It was nearly midnight and she was hoping that they were asleep or otherwise occupied, though she didn't want to walk in on that either. She pulled her keys from the bowl next to the door and walked out to her car.

All she could think on the way over to the boarding house was that she couldn't punch Damon or Elena. As much as she wanted to, she had done enough punching lately. She was feeling violent lately. Perhaps it was Tyler or her lack of sexual release, but all of that equaled Caroline having to resist hurting people who deserved to be hurt. She normally wasn't violent, Caroline fought with words or took the high road unless she was absolutely required to use violence, but she had a bad feeling about today.

She made it all the way up to Stefan's room without interruption. It took a minute to find. She knew where Damon's was, but she had never been in Stefan's before. It looked different than she had pictured it. It wasn't messy, but she wouldn't describe it as neat either. Cluttered. Stefan seemed to have collected lots of things over the years, not just books like Damon. She found a bag and began to stuff a few of the things from Stefan's drawers into them.

"I didn't take you for a cat burglar, Blondie. When did this start?" Damon asked, leaning in the door way.

Caroline turned around with a look that could have shot daggers. "You don't get to talk," she spat. "You know full well why I'm here and talking to me right now is a bad idea." She turned back to the drawer and shoved a few more things into it.

"Come on, he'll be fine in a decade or two. He got over it with Katherine."

Caroline took a deep breath, zipping up the bag. "You are an idiot."

"I'm pretty sure Stefan doesn't need a baby vampire to play protector, he's a big boy."

She growled turning towards him. "He's your brother. Your ONLY brother. You claim to care about him, but you slept with his girlfriend. Slept with the woman he's in love with. I know sex is just a game to screw with people's heads for you, but it's not. I hope Elena is proud of herself. She picked the wrong brother." She picked up the bag and stormed down the stairs back to her car. She was still fuming by the time she got back to her house. She shoved her keys in the lock to let herself in, completely missing the footsteps on the porch behind her before her neck twisted and everything went black.

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I just wanted to clear a few things up from questions that I got and things about this chapter. First of all, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month which is November. There is a challenge to write 50,000 words during the month of November and I'm on track with that and determined to stay on top of it which is why I'm writing so quickly. Secondly, I just wanted to point out that while I have no preference for Delena/Stelena, Caroline does, hence her line to Damon, I'm not Damon bashing and I really hope it doesn't come off that way. I really hope you guys liked this chapter, please let me know what you think! **

**Also I don't know how many of you are on tumblr, but I've been nominated for Most Underrated Author and Best Caroline URL for the Klaroline Awards. If you think I deserve either of those please vote for me. The links to vote can be found at URL: Klarolineawards.**


	12. Ungodly Hour

**Author's Note: I just want to put a warning out there that this chapter gets really intense. There is a torture scene and it's rather violent. I want to make sure that everyone knows before they go into it. I am planning on double updating today to make up for it though!**

**Chapter Twelve – Ungodly Hour**

_Don't talk, don't say a thing  
Cause your eyes, they tell me more than your words  
Don't do, don't leave me now  
Cause they say the best way out is thought  
And I am short on words knowing what's occurred_

"Stefan," Liz said, prodding the man sleeping on her couch. She had been more than confused when she walked in and found Stefan on the couch, but Caroline was nowhere to be found. She couldn't help but be a little worried. Caroline's bed was not slept in, she knew there was a chance she had fallen asleep on the couch watching movies with Stefan, but that did not account for her car still being parked in its usual spot and her car keys hanging from the outer lock on the door. She poked him again as he began to stir. "Stefan, where is Caroline?" she asked, looking at the note in her daughter's handwriting sitting on the coffee table.

"She was here last night," he said, running a hand over his head in an effort to wake up further. He reached over and picked up the note, studying it for a moment. "I'll call Damon. Maybe she's still over there." The tension was evident in his words, but Liz was worried so he could suck it up for Caroline.

"Not unless she walked there," Liz commented, holding up Caroline's car keys. "They were in the door when I got home. She used to leave them in the door all the time, but I thought she had gotten over it. I already tried her cell. It is going straight to voicemail."

"I'll call Damon and see if she is there, if not she could be with Bonnie or Elena," Stefan suggested, trying not to jump to the conclusion that had already formed in his head. She stood from the couch, attempting to shake away any of his lingering sleepiness before pressing the phone to his ear.

"Can I help you, Stefan? I thought you already sent your mouth piece over here to do all of your talking for you?" Damon asked.

"So she was there? Is she still there?" Stefan asked hopefully.

"Yes, she was here. She had a wonderful time telling me off last night. Someone has been sharpening their tongue. She still looks like an angry kitten when she's mad, some things never change." Stefan huffed in annoyance as he rambled on and Damon took this as a sign to answer the second question. "She's not here. She stormed out of here around midnight, flurry of blond curls."

Stefan jaw tensed, "Is Elena there?" He could hear Damon's hesitation when he stayed silent. "I just want to know if she's seen Caroline," he made clear.

There were a few more moments of silence before Damon answered, "Elena hasn't seen her either. What's going on with Blondie?"

"She's missing."

"Maybe Papa Hybrid took her to Paris this time."

"I don't have time for this." Stefan hung up the phone, looking back to Liz.

"Bonnie hasn't seen her. I even tried Tyler, he hasn't either," Liz said, disheartened.

"We'll find her," Stefan said, trying to be reassuring as he fixed his keys from his pocket. "Check some of the places she normally hangs out. The grill, the school. Check with Matt and Jeremy. I'll go check with Klaus." He walked out the door and slipped behind the steering wheel of the roadster. His concern grew as he drove; if she wasn't with Klaus then his fears were probably confirmed. Connor had seen her with him or Klaus and he had taken her. He didn't even want to think about that right now, Caroline had been through enough. While attempting to remain optimistic, he couldn't deny how real the possibility was.

Stefan barely had the car in park when he jumped out and walked in the mansion, calling out for Klaus to appear.

"Between you and Caroline, I don't know why I bothered installing the doorbell," Klaus quipped as he wandered down the hall towards the front door.

"So Caroline is here?" Stefan asked, hopefully.

"No, she was here yesterday afternoon before you so rudely interrupted our little chat and called her away. I can't imagine what was more important," Klaus huffed, still irritated about Caroline's phone interrupting their kiss the evening before. He watched in confusion as Stefan's face fell at his words. Why would Stefan want Caroline to be here? He was under the distinct impression that Stefan would be vehemently against Caroline spending any more time alone with him. "What's going on, Stefan? I do not appreciate being left in the dark when I am so very involved in the matter."

"She's missing."

Klaus's jaw set when Stefan spoke, "What do you mean she's missing?" he growled, taking a step towards Stefan.

"She isn't answering her phone. Her keys were stuck in the door and her car is in the driveway, but she's gone. The last person to see her was Damon around midnight, but if her car and keys are at home, she came home after, but never made it in the house. Sheriff Forbes is checking everywhere for her, but no one has seen her." The two of them exchanged a knowing glance before Klaus sent the glass in his hand to the ground. "We don't know if it's Connor for sure or not."

"Well who the bloody hell else would have taken her? Last I recall he's the only enemy on our radar unless you neglected to tell me something," Klaus pointed out, his patience running out nearly immediately. "Let's go. She has to be somewhere in the area."

"He's a vampire hunter, why would he take her alive?" Stefan asked following him towards the door.

"That I don't know, but if she was dead already, her body would have been left on the porch. He would have taken her for a reason and I can only assume that reason has something to do with you or me. I would prefer to find her before Caroline finds out what that reason is."

| With or Without You |

Caroline woke to a searing pain in her wrists. She tried to move but it only made it worse. Her wrists were strung up above her head by ropes that must have been soaked in vervain given the way it was burning and dripping down her forearms. The tips of her boots not quite reaching the ground as she tried to remain perfectly still. The pain only increased as she moved. She closed her eyes biting back a whimper as she tried to remember what had happened. The last thing she could remember was arguing with Damon about Stefan and everything after that was blank. She and Damon were never exactly on good terms but she highly doubted this had anything to do with him. She had been tortured before, but this position was particularly excruciating. The weight of her body was pulling against the ropes and her shoulders twisted in an unnatural position.

She looked around the room, if it could even be called that, it looked more like a root cellar to her. There was a table in front of her with a bowl of yellow liquid she was certain was vervain, several stakes, and gun that she didn't have to inspect to know was probably filled with wooden bullets. She didn't want to think about what would happen to her if she stayed.

Caroline gritted her teeth and gripped the rope wrapped around her wrists painfully. Doing her best not to make a noise as the pain washed over her in waves, she pulled her legs up as high as she could and swung, using her momentum to yank on the rope in hopes of snapping the support beam that the rope was thrown over. She shook with pain as the ropes tugged on her wrists, but she knew she had to keep trying because who ever had done this to her would do worse with the instruments of torture resting on the table. She set her jaw once again, preparing to do the same before she felt a wooden object pierce her side.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It won't end well for you," Connor spoke as he walked into the room, cocking the glock in his hand before setting it on the table.

"What do you want?" Caroline asked, straightening herself out as her face hardened. She wasn't going to let him know she was scared. She wouldn't let him know she was worried about what he was going to do to her. She was going to be brave because if he was going to kill her, he wasn't going to break her too.

"Answers," he told her, picking up one of the thin oak stakes and resting the tip in the bowl of vervain. "This doesn't have to be difficult. Unlike your boyfriends, I have yet to see you hurt anyone. You kept Damon Salvatore from killing me."

"Yes and I'm really regretting that decision right now," she snapped, wincing as the bullet worked its way out her side and dropped onto the concrete floor with a click.

"I didn't even realize you were a vampire until I heard you speaking to your mother in the police station the other day. I admire that, but that doesn't mean I can let you live. If you tell me what I want to know, it doesn't have to be painful for you going out," he said.

She let out a dark laugh, "You really kidnapped the wrong person if it's information you are after because no one tells me anything." She shook her head. "I'm a vampire, but I'm not exactly in the circle of the know. Stefan and Klaus didn't even let me talk to you. Remember?" She looked over at him, trying not to laugh at the sheer irony of having a conversation with him like she wasn't hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room.

"Something tells me you know something. Overheard something maybe. Or maybe they've mentioned something that you didn't even realize was important." He picked up the stake letting the excess vervain rolled off and dripped back into the bowl.

"I don't know anything and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you because whatever it is that you are so interested in is probably not something you are supposed to know. Stefan and Klaus are going to find me. So whether you kill me, or let me go, I suggest you run and you run far," she kept her voice strong while she threatened him regardless of the fact that she was in no position to threaten him. She did not want to anger him more, but he had already told her that he was planning on killing her so making it worse didn't seem possible.

"No one even knows you are missing, Caroline. You've been gone for eight hours now and no one has come barging down on this door." He motioned towards it. "Maybe you were right about not being important to them because they don't seem to care very much that you are gone."

Caroline's hardened exterior wavered as he spoke. Part of her knew he was probably lying, trying to get into her head to make her tell him something, but part of her still worried it was true. She wasn't all that important to their plans. Stefan and Klaus could easily finish getting the swords without her. She couldn't think like that. She needed to keep her head up.

"Now, let's start," he said, "why do I have the tattoo?"

"I don't know," Caroline said, gritting her teeth as he dragged the stake down the length of her forearm.

"Come on, Caroline. If you are going to lie to me you are going to have to lie more convincingly than that. It's just pathetic," he commented, pushing the stake through her abdomen.

Caroline bit her lip with force to keep from crying out. Her breath caught in her thought as he withdrew the stake and once again began the painstaking process of soaking it in the vervain.

"You spend so much time with those other vampires, I just don't buy that you don't know anything. Klaus seems hell bent on keeping me alive and in the palm of his hand and I want to know why. Give me a reason and I might give you a break," he spoke, plunging the stake into the back of her shoulders.

This time he caught her off guard and she screamed out in agony. He was taking great pride in the precision of his strikes, each time going for a major organ to increase the main. First her kidney and now her lung. She spat the blood that collected in her mouth onto the ground before she began to heal. "I can't," she paused to take a deep breath, "tell you anything I don't know."

Each time he pressed the stake past her skin or shot her with the wooden bullets hurt more than the last as her body grew slower with the healing process due to lack of blood. She could have told him and ended it, but she knew she couldn't do that. If she could hold out long enough, someone would find her. She just had to hold on until then and hope he didn't grow frustrated or begin to believe she truly didn't know anything.

| With or Without You |

"I told you, there's nothing I can do," Bonnie said, a worried look taking over her face.

"There has to be some kind of spell to tell us where she is," Stefan spoke, his exterior remaining a lot calmer than Klaus's, who looked like he was about to snap Bonnie's neck if she told him no one more time.

Klaus knew he should have stayed calm. He knew that he was showing his hand when it came to Caroline and that would only lead to trouble, but that was going to make things even more difficult for him once things calmed down. He couldn't think straight knowing that she was missing and in danger. He couldn't think about anything but ripping apart who ever took her limb from limb.

"I can try the location spell, but I don't know if it's going to work on a vampire." Bonnie shook her head, she was worried about Caroline too, but the murderous look in Klaus's eye told her that even she wasn't quite as invested in this as he was.

"There is no try, Witch. You do it or you die, it's quite simple really," he said, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke about murder like he was talking about homework.

"I don't think threatening to kill Bonnie is going to get us anywhere, Klaus," Stefan added firmly.

"Well, I don't see either of you working to get your best friend back. I am going to put all of my hybrids on this," Klaus complained before heading out the front door to make a phone call.

Bonnie looked over at Stefan once Klaus was gone. "I'm actually surprised he cares so much about something that doesn't directly affect him," she commented, looking down at the map in front of her.

"He's infatuated with her. He's not going to let that go so easily," Stefan said.

"Why? I cannot believe that he's interested in anything more than entertainment. If she dies, he'll just find someone else to focus his extra attention on," Bonnie scoffed, before beginning to focus on what she was doing.

"I'm not so sure about that," Stefan said quietly as he watched her.

Bonnie was ready to throw the map against the wall when Liz came into the house. Both Bonnie and Stefan looked up to see the somewhat hopeful look on her face. "Whoever took her didn't disable the GPS in her phone until after they reached a location. We've tracked it here. He might have just dumped her things or smashed her phone when he realized she had one on her, but at least it's a start."

Stefan nodded, taking the slip of paper from her hand. "We're going to bring her home, Liz." He tried to reassure her, but Liz did not seem convinced. He was determined, but he knew things wouldn't be simple with Connor involved, if that was who took Caroline in the first place. All of the uncertainty was driving him crazy. It could have been anyone; Connor was simply the most logical choice.

Klaus looked up from his cell phone call when Stefan walked out the door, hanging up on whoever he was speaking to. His hybrids looking for her wasn't important if Stefan knew where she was and the determined look on his face told him that the younger man knew something. "Any word?" he asked.

"Sheriff Forbes tracked the GPS in Caroline's cell phone. This is the last location it registered before going off the grid. At the very least, her phone is there and that's more than we have to go on now. It won't be easy but-"

"I'm always up a challenge, Stefan." He turned on his heel and headed out to the waiting SUV.

"Well, this certainly looks promising," Klaus spoke as he and Stefan, looked at the house Liz had told them Caroline's phone had last given a signal. It didn't look out of the ordinary. It was far enough away from town that no one would hear anything. No reason for Caroline's phone to be there unless she wasn't.

"Let's go," Stefan said before Klaus put a halting arm out to stop him.

"Hold on," he said, taking another good look at the house.

"It's Caroline, we can't just stand here and do nothing," Stefan protested.

"I'm not suggesting we leave her, but barging in is precisely what he'll be expecting. He could stake her the moment we walk through the door. He's probably taken precautions. He's smart-"

"But you are smarter," he begrudgingly agreed. "What's the plan?"

| With or Without You |

"I don't know anything. Please just stop," Caroline whimpered as he pulled her head above the edge of the tub filled with vervain. "Please." Every part of her burned and ached and her healing had all but halted completely. After four hours of unrelenting torture, she was more exsanguinated than she had ever been.

"I gave you an option, Caroline. I just wanted to know about the tattoos and why Klaus wants them so badly. You are the one making this so difficult. I don't particularly enjoy this," Connor told her one hand gripping her shoulder and the other holding a fist of her soaked blonde curls.

"Please. You are enjoying this," she bit out. Her body shaking from the pain, he moved to push her down in the acidic liquid once again, "No no no please no," she cried before she was once again fully submerged. The pain was excruciating. Caroline kept thinking if it got bad enough she would pass out. Vampire or not, there had to be some type of built in shock or something in her body, but she couldn't do anything but think about how much it hurt and how it was never going to stop hurting. Someone would have to realize she was missing eventually. Someone would have to come for her. She just had to keep hoping that it was soon. Klaus wouldn't let her die.

After a few more dunks in the vervain, Connor pulled on the rope and hoisted her back out of the tub and up by her wrists again. The scaring liquid dripped off her as she hung there. The different pains fought for the forefront of her mind, each vying to be the most painful part of the torture.

"If this won't work, we'll go back to the tried and true methods." He plucked up a stake from the table, already stained with a healthy amount of her blood and vervain. She took one look at the stake and let her head hang, not bothering to hold back her cries and screams any longer.

**Author's Note: So that episode was amazing, I can't believe we get an actual Klaroline date and poor Klaus with those hallucinations. Brownie points to everyone who guessed it was Connor, although I'm going to give an honorable mention to the person who guessed Hayley and the person who guessed Elena, very creative. Please let me know what you think!**


	13. Demons

**A/N: Alright, I know the last chapter was crazy intense and I apologize, but I did it for a reason and I hope this double update makes up for it. **

**Chapter Thirteen – Demons**

_So they dug your grave and the masquerade  
will come calling out at the mess you made  
Don't want to let you down, but I am hell bound  
Though this is all for you, don't want to hide the truth_

Klaus stood at the window, peering inside before he began to ease it up, noticing the trip wire almost immediately. Stupid humans. Why did they always think they were smarter than him? Over a thousand years of experience and Connor actually thought he could out smart him. He tugged on the wire, catching the stake that shot towards his chest with ease before motioning for Stefan to follow him inside. It all seemed perfectly normal on the surface. Nothing more than a dirty, abandoned house that had fallen into serious disrepair, but glancing a little deeper, the evidence of Connor's presence was visible. Upon further inspection, he snapped a few more trip wires and disconnected what appeared to be a painfully crude, homemade bomb.

While Connor had extensive knowledge in weaponry, he was a solo act. The lone wolf never prospered and Klaus had every intention of proving that to Connor today. He listened carefully, tuning into the labored breathing he could hear in the basement. Stefan nodded towards the basement door and the two of them prepared to go.

"_No, no, no, please,_" they both heard Caroline whimper and all plans to move slowly were abandoned as both men raced down the stairs, both pausing as they took in the sight that laid before them.

Klaus's jaw tightened, unable to understand how anyone could hurt someone like that, someone as innocent as Caroline no less. He had seen a lot in his thousand years. He prided himself on being a master of all things torture and pain, but this appeared worse. He doubted Caroline even had the energy to tell him any of the information he wanted to hear. Her clothes were torn and streaked with blood, the floor beneath her riddled with the remains of wooden bullets. His hands balled into fists as he saw the stake in Connor's hand. Stefan got to him first, his arm wrapped tightly around the man's neck. Klaus turned his attention to Caroline who was in desperate need of aid. She was barely awake when he pulled her from the ropes, unable to hold her head up on her own. He dipped his own to look her in the eye, "You'll be okay, Caroline." He said before his fangs sliced through his own wrist and pressed it to her lips.

"I-" she whimpered, "I didn't tell him anything."

His chest clenched at the words, wondering how much of her pain could have been avoided if he had not been so insistent on keeping things a secret. "Shh, it's alright, love, just drink," he told her as his arm wrapped around her middle to support her weight as soon as the ropes fell and she slumped into him.

Once Connor was unconscious, Stefan dropped him and walked over to the two of them. "What do you want to do with him?"

"Take Caroline to safety, I'll deal with Connor," Klaus instructed.

Stefan nodded, carefully collecting Caroline into his arms. He wanted to avoid hurting her further, but it seemed impossible not to disturb some kind of gash or wound with the condition of her body. Without asking questions, he stood and made his way out of the house, careful to avoid any of the traps.

When Connor came to, Klaus already had him rigged up in the same fashion that Caroline had been. Fortunately, the hybrid had been able to formulate his own plan for revenge rather quickly. He only gave a devilish smirk when the man looked up at him, "Congratulations Mate, you're in transition." He raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards the table. "I considered simply torturing you or murdering you, but what fun would that have been? You wouldn't exactly heal for me to begin again and that's exactly what you did to Caroline, is it not?" He pulled a blood bag from his jacket and smeared it against Connor's mouth, not giving him much of an option as to whether or not he would transition.

Connor opened his mouth speak, hissing in pain and disgust as he attempted to spit the blood from his mouth, but Klaus knew it only took a drop. The fangs dropped from behind his lips and Klaus grinned wickedly, "Fantastic. Shall we begin?"

| With or Without You |

Once Caroline was resting in the back seat, he pulled a bag of blood out and handed it to her. "We need to get you home. I'll get you in bed and some more blood, then you can clean up," he told her, pushing aside some of the matted blond hair on her forehead as she sucked greedily from the blood bag.

"Don't let my mom see me like this?" she asked, in between deep breaths as she gulped down the blood from the bag. "She doesn't need to know how bad it was. She worries enough, Stefan."

"She should know that you've been through hell today, Caroline. You shouldn't keep that bottled up," he told her with a concerned look.

"I know. I'll tell her, I just don't want her to see me like this," she looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him.

He hung his head before nodding, "We'll get you cleaned up before I take you home." He hated seeing her like this, but he couldn't deny her that. Liz would want to know what happened, but he could respect Caroline's wishes. He understood her desire to shield her mother from the pain she had experienced it, Caroline had been through this before. He never understood how she bounced back so quickly. "Are you alright? Really, Caroline?"

"It's nothing I haven't been through before. Don't worry so much, Stef," she said, painting on a weak smile and it pained Stefan to know it was only for his benefit. She was bruised and beaten and bleeding, but she was still the one trying to make him feel better, trying to protect her mom, and, judging by the words he had heard her utter to Klaus, trying to help Elena. He didn't understand how she could stay so strong despite the hell she had been through in the last year.

After taking her to the boarding house to let her clean up and get more blood, he drove her back home. Liz was pacing the length of the kitchen when they walked in.

"Thank God," Liz wrapped his arms around Caroline, who was doing her best to not to wince or whimper as her mother squeezed her still healing body. The wounds had closed, but it was going to take another blood bag or two before the tenderness and bruises that lay below the surface went away completely. Caroline was more than content to endure the pain for the comfort of her mother's arms. It was nothing compare to what she had gone through that morning. Liz pulled back, cupping Caroline's face with her hands as she looked her over, "You are okay?"

Caroline forced a smile, "I'm fine. I promise, just a few bumps and bruises," she lied.

"Who took you? Where are they?" Liz demanded, looking from Caroline to Stefan.

"It was Connor and Klaus is dealing with him. I don't think he'll be a problem again," Stefan shook his head.

"What happened, Caroline?" Liz asked, her face still laced with concern.

"He just wanted to know some stuff about Klaus. Stuff I didn't know anyway. Klaus and Stefan got there before he could do anything major, right, Stefan?" Caroline asked, looking away from her mother to look over at Stefan, silently asking him to go along with the lie for Liz's sake. He gave a tight smile and nodded. "I think I'm going to go lay down though. It's been a long night. Getting your neck snapped is never fun." Her hand raised to rub the back of her neck, managing a small laugh.

"I'll bring you some blood from the basement," Liz said as Stefan moved to help her up the stairs.

"I'm okay, Stefan, really," Caroline told him as he wrapped his arm around her waist while they headed towards the staircase.

He sighed, turning towards her once Liz was out of ear shot. "It's not good to keep her in the dark like that. She's just worried about you."

"I know and that's the problem. She has enough with me to worry about. She's been worried about me my whole life. I wasn't exactly an easy child."

"Really? I would have never guessed," he smirked as they walked into her bedroom.

She rolled her eyes before continuing, "I meant that she had enough on her plate with this town and all the other supernatural problems. I'm alright, I'm in one piece. I'll be fine. She doesn't need to worry about me anymore than she already does. It's not going to hurt her not to know how bad things were. It's going to keep her up. She'll have nightmares about it and wonder what she could have done to stop it. She will blame herself. I'm her only child and I'm a vampire and she already blames herself enough for that because she wasn't there. I can't put anything else on her plate. She doesn't know anything. Not about what Damon did or the werewolves or Alaric. The only thing she knows about is Tyler's werewolf bite and that's the way I want to keep it. I never want anything that happens to me to make her feel like she didn't do enough."

He couldn't argue with her. As much as he hated that she took it upon herself to protect people, he also understood and he couldn't undo something she had spent over a year protecting. "I won't tell her, just promise you won't keep it inside."

"I'm fine, Stefan," she told him once again.

He had heard her say it so many times since they left the house, he wondered if she was trying to convince him or herself. He didn't question her. Liz walked into the room with two blood bags in one hand and a steaming coffee cup in the other and Stefan took this as his cue to exit. He walked out of the room and came chest to chest with Klaus.

"How is she?" Klaus asked, his brows knitted together.

"She's got some blood and she's cleaned up, but she's still banged up. She'll be okay. She's Caroline, she always is," Stefan said, crossing his arms over his chest as Klaus tried to paint a look of impartialness over his face. "Where is Connor?"

"Let's just say he won't be hurting anyone else any time soon. We may need to begin the search for a new hunter. I don't think he's going to be much use to us in his current state."

"You killed him?"

"Not exactly. I did, but thanks to the wonders of vampirism, he came back many, _many_ times."

"You turned him?" he asked.

"It was more fun than simply killing him, now I get to kill him over and over again whenever the mood strikes," he shrugged his shoulders.

"So where is he?"

"Well, after he escaped the first time I made sure it wouldn't happen again. I had a room put in for just the occasion. Hybrids watching him around the clock and fortunately, he will not be afforded an opportunity to kill them. I might throw him a blood bag in a few days if it suits my mood. Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to check on Caroline." He move to walk past Stefan, but Klaus halted him.

"She's with her mother. I would give her some time."

"She's been through a lot this evening and-"

"And she doesn't want Liz to know," Stefan said, keeping his voice down. Klaus raised an eyebrow. "This isn't the first time this has happened to her, you know? Whenever things go south, Caroline is the one who gets caught in the crossfire. You saw what happened with Alaric. Before that her father strapped her to a chair and tortured her with sunlight for an entire day to try to condition the vampire urges out of her. Before that it was a group of werewolves that thought we hurt Tyler. They kept her in a cage and shot her with wooden bullets and vervain until Damon and I showed up with Tyler and he nearly let them kill her again. Before that Damon got to her while she was still human, he was trying to get in with Elena and get under my skin so he compelled her and dated her for weeks. Used her as a human blood bag. I'm sure none of that seems like much to you, but she's an eighteen year old girl who has been to hell and back in the last year. Most vampires don't go through that much torture in a hundred years. She's been through it in eleven months."

Klaus's hands clenched at his sides, but he said nothing. He knew she was a bit of a danger magnet, but he had not realized it was this bad. His urge to rip Damon's head off, however, had never been stronger.

"What I'm trying to say," Stefan began again, "is that she always pulls herself back up and pretends nothing is wrong. She doesn't want Liz to know and you barging in there like she could die any second is going to make Liz think it was worse than Caroline is telling her."

Klaus begrudgingly nodded before leaning against the wall across from Caroline's bedroom. He didn't want to wait, he wanted to see her, see that she was okay with his own eyes. He couldn't get the image of her covered in blood out of his head and he thought perhaps seeing her healed up would make things better. She looked so weak when he saw her dangling there. Connor had already paid dearly for each and every mark on her flawless porcelain skin and he intended to repeat the process many times over. What Stefan said was beginning to sink in. How many times could one person, one young girl, go through so much and still manage to laugh at the end of the day. The years of pain and suffering and running had hardened Klaus. Though Caroline had not been through what he had, she still showed no signs of letting it affect her. She was an anomaly, his little blond vampire.

Both Stefan and Klaus looked up when Liz exited the room. She gave them both a confused look before crossing her arms over her chest. "She wants to talk to you." She looked Klaus square in the eye.


	14. Little Hell

**Chapter Fourteen – Little Hell**

_There's a degree of difficulty in dealing with me  
From my haunted past comes a daunting task of living through memories  
If we could just hang a mirror on the bedroom wall, stare into the past and forget it all  
Will we get out of this little hell?_

"Hi," Caroline said softly as Klaus walked into her bedroom. He had been in it several times not but this was the first time he had actually been invited in by Caroline herself. She looked so small engulfed in the covers and pillows of her bed. Caroline was always made up and perfect, but twice now he had seen her like this. No make-up, no hairspray. Caroline donned these items like armor, but here she was defenseless. The first time she was not given a choice, she needed to be saved, but this time she invited him in. For some reason, this thought put him on edge. He paused at the door as he closed it behind him, part of him afraid he would break her or do more damage to her if he got too close.

"Caroline, how are you feeling?" he asked, his hand resting on the dresser as he watched her carefully, looking her over and checking for any injuries that had not yet healed. Aside from the sunken in eyes, she looked to be healed.

"Fine," she said, beginning to push herself up against the pillows so she was no longer reclined.

He walked over to help her, one arm resting on her back as the other wrapped gently around her arm, slowly easing her up against the headboard. Relinquishing his hold on her once she was situated, he stood next to the bed, his hands hanging at his sides. His mind was torn between the image of her battered and bloodied in Connor's make shift torture chamber and that of her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned in to press her lips to his and for once in his life, he wasn't sure where to start.

"Are you-"

"Did he-"

They both began at the same time, pausing when they heard the other speak, both giving a small smile, "You can sit down, you know?" Her eyes glanced down at the empty spot on the edge of her bed before looking back at him.

He raised an eyebrow, almost as if to ask if she was sure before he took his seat next to her. His eyes fixed on her hand as she played with the edge of her comforter, a nervous habit of hers he had noticed over the last year. His own hands set idly in his lap, resisting the urge to reach out and take hers. "Are you sure you're alright, love?"

"So now we're back to love?" she asked, looking at him with a hint of a smirk on her lips. "I'm alright. It's nothing I haven't been through before," she said, her eyes avoiding his.

He could tell she was struggling to keep the fading smile on her face. He had to give her credit for that. Most wouldn't be able to pretend everything was fine when they had just been through an ordeal like Caroline's. "You said you didn't tell him anything," he said, pausing when he saw her throat tighten, "what did he want to know?"

She looked down at her hands, fiddling with them in her lap as she tried to keep her voice even while she thought about it. "He wanted to know about his tattoo and why you were so interested in him. He kept saying he didn't believe me, that I must have overheard something." She looked up at him and he could see the tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "I knew if I told him anything, he would just kill me and leave town, try to figure it out on his own. I didn't want to ruin everything we were working for because I couldn't take a li..little torture."

He knew that it was more than a little torture and as happy as he was she had held out and not gotten herself killed, he hated that she had done it to protect his plans. He let out a breath before letting go of his hesitation and taking her hand, "It wasn't just a little torture, Caroline."

Her eyes met his as the tears began to spill over her bottom lid, running down her cheeks. Her throat, tight and dry, would not allow her to speak, so instead she shook her head. It hadn't been a little torture. It had been the single worst thing she had ever experienced and she couldn't imagine anything worse.

He found himself moving closer to her, settling back against the headboard next to her. His arm wrapped around her body, bringing her close against his chest. She could have pushed him away, but something told him she wouldn't. He felt her settle there, her face burying against the crook of his neck without saying a word. He nearly broke the silence, but then he felt her hand grasp at the fabric of his shirt. His lips dropped to her temple as he rubbed circles over her back. Being comforting was not his forte. He excelled at giving pain rather than taking it away, but making her feel safe felt like second nature.

"It wasn't just the stakes and bullets," she whimpered into his chest, her hand gripping his shirt tighter, "There was a bath tub…with vervain and he just kept pushing he down underneath it. And I tried to fight him, I tried so hard, but no blood and I couldn't breathe." Her whole body shook as she told him what had happened. It was all she could think about; the feeling of the vervain forcing its way in her mouth and down her throat over every part of her skin. "Don't tell anyone. Please."

Klaus's body tightened underneath hers when she began to tell him what happened. Connor would pay for that, he would make sure of that. Each and every thing he did to hurt Caroline, Klaus would make sure he felt ten times worse. Caroline didn't speak again. His fingers traced her shoulder blades, as the quakes of her body began to subside until he was sure she was no longer crying, but neither of them made an effort to move.

He realized she was drifting off to sleep and shifted lower on the bed, keeping her close. He probably should have left, but he was selfish and if this was his only opportunity to feel her in his arms, sleeping on his chest, he was going to take it. It was better than the empty bed waiting for him back at the mansion. She settled against his chest once again, her eyes already closed.

"Maybe this could work…" she mumbled against the fabric of his shirt as he wrapped his arm around her once again. He thought about her words, but said nothing. He just let a small smile take over his lips as he closed his eyes.

Klaus was unsure what time it was, but he was awoken to Caroline sitting on the edge of the bed looking down at him. He gave her a quizzical look, before looking at the clock, it was just after three and he couldn't think of a possible reason for her to be awake.

"I think you should go," she said, raising an eyebrow as she pulled her robe around herself tighter. "This was a mistake. I really don't know what I was thinking letting you get into bed with me. I don't want you here."

Klaus cocked his head to the side, "Sweetheart, it's the middle of the night, I think you should go back to sleep. You've been through a lot today."

She stood from the bed, shaking her head. "Stop with the 'sweetheart' and the 'love'. I'm not any of those things for you and we both know that. You just keep getting your hopes up for something that's never going to happen. It's getting pretty pathetic, you know. I almost feel bad for you." She set her hand on her hip and looked down at him.

"You're not real," he whispered as the realization fell on him. He remembered back to a time over a thousand years ago when he experienced a similar phenomenon. The repercussions for killing a hunter.

"How can you be so sure about that, Klaus? I hated you a month ago. Do you really think things can change that much in a month? You haven't changed in a thousand years. You are just a cold and heartless murderer."

"I endured over fifty-two years of this torture before, you're going to have to do a lot better than that if you think you are going to break me," he challenged.

"Who says I'm trying to break you?" she asked, straddling his lap. Her hand tugged on the robe tie and letting it hang open, revealing her black lace bra and knickers. "Maybe I'm just trying to show you what you're never going to have. You know Tyler did, all the time. Even Damon," she challenged him. "I may not be real, but you know that I feel this way. I'm never actually going to care about you." He closed his eyes, willing it away, careful not to touch her. "You want to know a secret?" Caroline leaned in close to his ear, "I know where the white oak stake is, all you have to do is ask."

Klaus's eyes snapped open finding nothing but Caroline's ceiling. She was still sound asleep, her head resting comfortably on him as her curls fanned out over his chest. It seemed as though she had curled even closer to him in her sleep and that was the only thing that gave him comfort over the nightmare. He couldn't move without disturbing her, so he stayed still, his mind wandering back to those years in the 1100s.

When the hallucinations began, they had frightened him. He had no idea what he was up against. They came in all different forms. Sometimes the hunters he had killed. Sometimes his siblings or parents, people he had killed. He never knew what to expect, but they always sent him reaching for stakes or daggers or whatever he could get his hands on. Elijah and Rebekah did what they could, but they often found him in the aftermath of various failed attempts at suicide. Of course, he couldn't kill himself. There was only one thing that could kill him and according to the nightmare, Caroline knew where to find it. He couldn't think about that. After so many years, he had learned to deal with them. The hallucinations subsided eventually, but the urge was there for more than half a century. The overwhelming desire to end his life was completely consuming. He had thought perhaps turning the hunter first would break the bond and spare him from the hallucinations, but the witches would have covered that loophole.

He closed his eyes, trying to sleep for the rest of the evening, but found it impossible. The dream turned to a hallucination, each one worse than the last until he finally found himself hovering above Caroline with his hands above her neck. She had been Esther a few moments before and now he found her looking up at him with fear in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her breath quickening. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she remembered him being there before. It was all strange to her still. Them in bed together, but the strangeness gave way to concern when he began to speak.

"You were Esther, now you're Caroline," he said, sinking back into the other side of the bed. His head fell into his hands. It had only been hours and he wasn't sure what was real anymore. Was Caroline really there or would he wake to find her asleep once again?

Caroline looked at him with concern. A few moments ago he looked as though he was going to kill her and now he looked terrified crouched onto the edge of the bed. "Klaus, I'm not Esther. I'm Caroline," she said slowly, moving closer to him. "What is going on?"

He ran his hand over his face before looking over at her. "When a hunter is killed by that which it hunts, there is a bit of a consequence. Hallucinations, vivid and sometimes violent. They can be anything and everything. They don't stop until the hunter has claimed his last victim, the being who killed him. It happened once before. Nine hundred years ago when I killed the original hunters."

"And you killed Connor…" she whispered, pulling the covers up over her lap. Her mind began to wrap around the idea. "So how do we stop them? How did you stop them the last time?" she asked.

"I didn't," he told her weakly, his eyes looking up to meet hers. "Fifty-two years, four months, and nine days of never knowing what was real and what was my mind. It was the only part of my life I've ever actually felt time. They couldn't affect me much, even if I listened to them, there was no way I could end my life, but that didn't stop me from trying. Eventually, they stopped one day without warning, but with this recent row with the hunter, they seem to have come back."

He didn't look up at her while he spoke, his eyes fixed on his hands and Caroline couldn't help but think this was the only time she had ever seen him appear weak. She couldn't imagine fifty-two years of not wanting to live, of not knowing what was real and what was his own mind playing tricks on him. Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder. "We'll figure it out," she said softly, trying to calm him. Unlike Klaus, comfort was her forte, but what would comfort Klaus was lost on her. "I'm real okay? Just remember that."

Her touch seemed to calm him if only slightly. He wanted to scoff at her words, she had not been real a few hours before, but he knew she was trying and the weight of her hand on his shoulder told him she was right. He reached for it, feeling it in his hand as he calmed the trembling in his body that seeing Esther had caused.

"We're going to figure this out and we'll stop them," she tried to reassure him. "I can't have you hallucinating on our date."

His head shot in her direction. "Date?" he asked suspiciously, wondering if once again he had been tricked into believing she was real when she wasn't.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about when I called you in earlier. Didn't get a chance," she said, sheepishly. Her eyes rose to meet his. She had never been the queen of all things appropriate. Now was probably not the best time to ask him on a date, but she was hoping it would give him something tether to. She had seen Inception enough times to know that you needed a tether when you didn't know what was real and what wasn't and maybe she could be his. "I want you to take me on a date. A proper one. I don't want to just have stolen kisses or almost kisses and I'm tired of fighting this. If there's something between us, I just want to know."

A smile crept across his lips. He opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off by Connor's looming presence on the other side of Caroline. "Too bad you aren't going to make it to that date," The man said, crossing his arms as he stared at him. "I will make sure of that."

"You are dead, Hunter," Klaus said, scrambling from the bed.

"Actually, I'm not. You made sure of that, but you still interrupted my mission, didn't you? You still killed me," Connor said.

Caroline watched helplessly as Klaus spoke to the air, growling and snarling as he yelled. She wanted to help, but he seemed to be lost in his own world. She tried to talk to him, but he didn't respond. It was like he couldn't even hear her. He was too busy arguing with his own imagination. He finally stormed out of the house and Caroline followed after him, meeting her mother in the hallway.

"What the hell happened?" Liz asked, standing in the hallway in her pajamas with her gun in hand.

"I don't know, but he's hallucinating and I need to call Stefan."

**Author's Note: Hi, sorry for the lack of an update yesterday. I thought I just had a cold, but it's quickly become bronchitis so I'm dealing with that, but I got the chapter done so that's what counts. I hope you guys enjoy!**


	15. Seven Devils

**Chapter Fifteen – Seven Devils**

_Holy water cannot help you now, thousand armies couldn't keep me out  
I don't want your money, I don't want your crown  
See I've come to burn your kingdom down  
Seven devils all around me! Seven devils in my house!  
See they were here when I woke up this morning  
I'll be dead before the day is done_

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Caroline asked, following Stefan down a narrow staircase. Klaus wasn't answering his phone and Caroline's worry was only increasing with every unanswered phone call and text. She was worried about him. Without the white oak stake, he couldn't kill himself, but the idea of him trying still made her feel horrible.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's a horrible idea and there's a pretty good chance she's going to kill us both when she wakes up, but it's the only plan we have. We don't have fifty two years to wait for his hallucinations to go away," Stefan said, holding the flash light in one hand a small cooler stocked with blood bags in the other. As they reached the bottom of the steps, he turned to unlock a door and motioned for Caroline to head in first. He felt guilty as he looked down at the blonde that lie in front of them. She might not even be willing to help them considering the terms she and her brother were on when the dagger slid into her chest, but he wasn't sure what else to do.

"He's her brother. She'll help him. She helped him before. I don't think it will matter how mad she is with him, if she can stop them, she will. You didn't see the look on his face," Caroline said, her eyes a storm as she recalled it. It wasn't something she ever wanted to see again. "Do you want to do it or should I?" Caroline asked, holding her hands up as she looked down at Rebekah's greyed body. She had never seen one of the originals while daggered, but it didn't look pretty.

"I will. If she doesn't _respond_ well, I want you to run. Go find Klaus, try to keep him calm until I can talk some sense into her," Stefan told her, setting the cooler down on the floor next to the cot Rebekah's body was lying on.

"What happened between them anyway?" Caroline asked, folding her arms as she leaned against the door frame.

"Klaus told her he didn't trust her with this plan so he daggered her," he said hesitantly.

"Then he told me about it," Caroline said slowly, letting that sink in.

Stefan nodded grimly, "I don't know how forthcoming I would be with that detail when Rebekah starts asking questions and she will. The good news is I think she hates Elena a lot more than she hates you these days so it might be okay."

Caroline gave a dark laugh, "Well, that's promising. We should probably get this over with. We need to find Klaus before he does something stupid. If by some chance he finds the White Oak Stake in his state, he could end all of us."

Stefan nodded in agreement, wrapping his hand around the silver stake and pulling it from Rebekah's chest. He dropped it to the ground with a clang and took a step back to watch with Caroline. Neither of them knew how long it would take for Rebekah to come back around, but their question was answered quickly. Her body began to regain its color, slowly at first and then her eyes fluttered open. "There's blood in the cooler, I'm sure you are parched." Stefan motioned to the cooler, sitting next to her bed and Rebekah's head jerked in his direction.

"You," she snapped, her eyes glistening with betrayal. Within seconds, she had Stefan pinned to the stone wall by his neck, his feet dangling helplessly a few inches above the ground. "You let Nik dagger me. You helped him," she spat in disgust.

"Rebekah, wait," Caroline said, trying to interrupt her.

"Caroline, leave," Rebekah said, not even sparing her a glance, "Not unless you would like to join Stefan's fate."

"This isn't about Stefan, it's about Klaus," she said, looking up at Rebekah who only seemed to relent momentarily, "It's about your brother," her voice came out in a plea, hoping she could tug on Rebekah's heartstrings.

"You mean the brother who had repeatedly driven daggers through my heart and stored me like unwanted antiques for years? I don't think he seems to need any help, isn't that why I'm here in the first place. He thinks I will foil his plans," she snapped, letting Stefan down from the wall. "Now go, both of you, before I change my mind."

"He's in trouble, Rebekah. He needs your help. He killed a hunter and now he's-"

"Hallucinating," Rebekah said quietly.

Caroline nodded in recognition, "He said you dealt with them before. He needs you."

"Where is he?" Rebekah asked, looking from Caroline to Stefan expectantly. She scoffed at their silence, "Of course you lost him, why would I expect either of you to be competent at such a simple task. Where was the last place you saw him? What happened?"

"We were asleep in my room-"

"I'm not even going to ask, but be certain we will be having words later," Rebekah said, her nose wrinkling in disgust before motioning for Caroline to go on.

"Anyway, we were sleeping, and nothing else, then he started freaking out. He said I was Esther and then he calmed down and explained things to me. Next, I think he saw Connor. After that he ran out of the room. That was about an hour ago," Caroline explained, her hands clasped in front of her as she fidgeted nervously under Rebekah's judgmental glare.

"You two are lucky the white oak stake is long gone," Rebekah said. Once again her words were met with silence and stolen glances at the ground, "I don't know why I expect anything from the lot of you. If he knows it exists, please tell me it's in a safe place." This question, both were able to nod in agreement to. "Good. That's something at least. Now you," she looked to Stefan, "Come with me. We need to find someone who can help us. And you," she looked to Caroline, "Find him, keep him calm until we can figure this out and for God's sake's keep him away from the stake."

Caroline stood shocked for a moment before realizing what was going on, "Where am I supposed to find him? He's hallucinating, he could be anywhere."

"Your problem. Perhaps you shouldn't have let him leave on his own when you knew he was having hallucinations," Rebekah said, glaring at Caroline. "I'm giving you one job and I'm hoping you can accomplish it because I would prefer not to break a nail ripping your heart out." She turned on her heel and began to walk out of the room. "Come on Stefan," she called over her shoulder. He shot her an apologetic look before following after her and leaving Caroline alone in the dungeon-like cell. She ran a hand through her hair as she paced, trying to figure out where he might be. She was beginning to regret not getting to know Klaus better before, it would make this entire process so much easier. Standing around wouldn't do much, if her worry about Klaus wasn't enough motivation, Rebekah's threat was very real. Her heels clicked as she walked up the steps before making her way out of the boarding house. Unsure of where she was headed, she slipped behind the driver's seat and made her way back home to see if her mother could track his phone the way they had tracked hers just a few hours earlier.

| With or Without You |

"So can you fix your brother?" Stefan asked as he stood outside the bedroom while Rebekah changed.

"No, but I know how. Elijah and I helped Niklaus the last time he went through this. Granted it took decades for us to figure it out, but eventually we did. Thankfully, it won't take that long this time. I would assume so anyway," she told him as she walked out of the room, still pulling her top over her head into place.

"Well, by all means," Stefan said, raising his eyebrows, already sick of Rebekah's cryptic speech. If she knew how to stop Klaus from trying to end their line, then she needed to stop talking and fix it. He understood she was angry with her brother, but it wasn't an excuse to play Russian roulette with all of their lives.

"Relax, Stefan, Niklaus cannot kill himself if he doesn't have the white oak stake and according to you and Caroline it's in a safe place. You have nothing to worry about. We need to find someone, a potential." Rebekah pulled her blonde curls from the collar of her sweater, looking over at Stefan.

"And what exactly is a potential?"

"A potential hunter. When a member of the five is killed, another is awoken, this person is called a potential. They could become a hunter with the simple task of killing a vampire. It awakens their hunter's mark. Once another hunter has taken the slain hunter's place, the nightmares and hallucinations end."

"Great, so how do we find a potential?"

"Well, unfortunately, there in lays the problem. It took Elijah and I nearly a decade to find one the last time. It probably would have been less time if Niklaus had not been hellbent on turning himself in to Mikael because he knew Mikael would end his life. We spent so much time trying to keep him away from our father, time that could have been better spent searching." She let her breath out slowly, not wishing to recall the memory, it wasn't a particularly pleasant one. "It could take a long time."

Stefan's shoulder's dropped at this news. They didn't have decades. They didn't have long at all before Klaus put the facts together and realized the white oak stake was hidden in his bedroom and took to finding it. Caroline was only going to be able to hold him off for so long and he didn't even want to think about what Klaus would do to her in his current state if she tried to get between him and his endgame. "So how do we find a potential?"

"Again, that's going to be difficult. There are no outside similarities. The only way to know who they are is that they can see the tattoos," Rebekah sighed, leaning back against the wall. "It's a needle in a haystack really."

"Well, I just found the needle," Stefan said, a smile crossing his lips.

| With or Without You |

Caroline's searches had not turned up much. Her mother's track of his phone had led them to her bedroom where Klaus had left his phone in his haste to get out of there and away from his visions of Connor and Esther. She had checked the grill, the boarding house the graveyard, the house the witches and Esther had used for all of their rituals, all of which turned up completely useless. It dawned on her that she had not checked the most obvious place.

"Klaus," she called out to him as she walked into the mansion. With no response, she walked down the hallway. If he was still in Mystic Falls, he had to be here somewhere in this house. She had checked everywhere else. If she was hallucinating she would want to be safe, she could only hope that Klaus would think the same way she did and it seemed like a shot in the dark.

"Noooo!" Caroline jumped as she heard the scream from upstairs. "You are dead, Mikael. I killed you myself!" Caroline found herself bounding up the stairs and towards the drawing room. If Klaus was angling to be comfortable, it made the most sense for him to go there. Carefully, she pushed door open and found Klaus standing in the middle of the room. His face filled with rage as he continued to scream at the air.

"Klaus," she said, tentatively as she took a step towards him.

His head whipped in her direction, his shoulders dropping at the sight of her. "No, no, not her," he spoke, his voice coming out small.

"It's really me," she said, her voice soft as she continued to advance towards him. He took a step back, but it didn't stop her. "It's okay. It's not real. None of its real except for me." She took another step forward and extended her hand to him. "See?" She looked from her hand to him as he reached out and took it. Her relief only lasted a moment before his attention shifted over her shoulder, the rage taking over his face once again.

"Hey, hey, look at me," Caroline said, her hands coming up to cup his cheeks, pulling his gaze back to her. "Whatever it is, it isn't real. It's just me, I'm the only thing that's real to just look at me."

So he did. Klaus's arms wrapped around her waist, clasping at the small of her back to keep her close, keep her safe from whatever would walk through that door. He wasn't sure what else he could possibly encounter this evening. He wasn't sure what was real and what was imaginary anymore. All logical thoughts had gone out the window quickly. The only thing he could do was focus on Caroline.

"You'll never be able to keep her safe," he heard a voice say, recognizing her instantly. Tatia. He didn't look away from Caroline. Her voice was softer than most of the people he had encountered that evening. "You care about her Niklaus, just as you cared for me. You can't protect her. You have enemies. And more than that you have your own rage. You want to protect her, I can see that much. I know that you wanted to protect me too, but you can't protect her this way."

"Stop talking." He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and Caroline frowned at the sight of him.

"It's just me," Caroline reminded him, "Whatever else you are hearing isn't real. I'm the only thing that's real."

"If you take yourself out of the equation, Caroline will be safe. You know that, Niklaus," Tatia said softly, tracing her fingers over his shoulders. "You know I'm right. Just ask Caroline where the stake is. You can keep her safe. You can be with me."

Klaus swallowed harshly, burying his face against Caroline's neck, taking a deep breath. "Caroline, where is the stake?"

| With or Without You |

"And why was it necessary to wake me up in the middle of the night?" Jeremy asked groggily as he walked between Rebekah and Stefan down the stairs to the basement.

"We need you to kill a vampire. It isn't that difficult to understand, Jeremy," Rebekah said, her patience wearing thin. The youngest Gilbert was asking far too many questions for her liking.

"And why don't the two of you do it? You seem more than qualified," Jeremy quipped.

"You have to do it," Stefan said, handing him a stake. "If you don't, Klaus is going to find the white oak stake and drive it through his own heart. Then all of us are dead, including your sister."

"Who is this vampire?" Jeremy asked as Stefan pushed open the door. Connor was still tied up in the center of the room with the same vervain soaked ropes that had held Caroline a few hours before.

"Call it poetic justice," Rebekah said, motioning for him to enter the room.

| With or Without You |

"No," Caroline said, shaking her head vehemently.

"Caroline," Klaus growled, looking down at her. "Tell me where it it," he demanded once again, but she stood her ground.

"You have to fight it, Klaus. It's not real, whatever it's saying isn't real. It isn't true. You can't do that," she pleaded, her hands falling to his shoulders as she looked up at him. "It isn't real."

"No!" he yelled, pushing her hands off of him and backing away. "I have to do it. It's not going to stop until I do it." He paced the length of the room. His fingers wove through his blonde curls, tugging on them as he tried to keep himself from hurting her. "You have to tell me." He looked to her.

"You can't do this, Klaus. If you stake yourself it kills all of us, not just you," she tried to appeal to him. She moved closer to him, but he pushed her away.

"I'm going to hurt you. Stop this, Caroline," he told her, his hand out to keep her away as he dropped down onto one of the chairs.

"No," she shook her head, taking another step forward, "No, you won't. I know you won't." She refused to let him keep her back, he needed to see that she was there and nothing else was real. "You are not going to hurt me. I trust you, but I'm not going to let you hurt yourself. You just have to fight it, fight yourself." She sat down in front of him. She reached out for his hand, grasping them in her own. "Just talk to me, we'll get through this."

He drew an unsteady breath and nodded, Tatia disappeared behind Caroline as he looked at the blonde in front of him.

"Where are you going to take me on our first date?" Caroline asked, hoping to distract him from whatever he was thinking about right now.

"I suppose Paris is out of the question?" he asked, still trying to focus on Caroline, noticing that it was easier.

"No, I don't think that's a fantastic idea. No leaving the country. No murder," she said, shaking her head. "I was thinking more along the lines of dinner. Just the two of us."

"I think I can manage that. Although you deserve much grander," he told her, his confidence slowly coming back.

"Let's just start here," she said, letting a smile take over the worry on her face. Her phone chirped in her pocket and she broke her gaze from Klaus to check the phone in her pocket, seeing the text from Stefan. 

_We're done. Did it work?_

Caroline looked up to Klaus and smiled, "Rebekah and Stefan think they fixed it, how are you feeling?" she asked, biting her bottom lip as she waited for an answer.

"Like if you continue to torment me so, I won't make it to the first date," he nodded towards her bitten lip as his own curled into a devilish smirk. She rolled her eyes, sending Stefan a text back, letting him know that everything was okay.

"Maybe this will hold you over," she whispered, closing the distance between them and pressing her lips to his.

**Author's Note: Thank you guys for the well wishes. I'm feeling a little better, but it still kind of feels like there's an elephant sitting on my chest. I really hope you guys like this chapter. Let me know what you think!**


	16. Kiss Me Slowly

**Author's Note: Hi, I just wanted to address a few things that I noticed in the reviews. It seemed like quite a few of you were unhappy with the length of Klaus's hunter's curse. I understand and I'm really sorry you feel that way. It was not my intention to make you guys feel cheated on hallucinations or suicidal Klaus, I just wanted to get back to the bones of the story, which is the swords and the potential cure, as well as Klaroline's developing relationship. I really hope your guys will continue to bear with me as Klaus, Caroline, Stefan, and now Rebekah head on this journey to find the cure. **

**Chapter Sixteen – Kiss Me Slowly**

_Hold my breath as you're moving in  
Taste your lips and feel your skin  
When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly_

"So what changed?" Rebekah asked curiously as she walked into the sitting room of the mansion. She was still playing catch up with everything she had missed during her "rest" as Klaus continued to call it. The two of them weren't exactly on good terms, but Stefan and Caroline had agreed not to let Klaus dagger her again to keep the fighting to a minimum. She wasn't quite sure she bought that the two of them could stop him, but since her brother seemed to be so smitten with Caroline, she hoped her influence would be enough. Rebekah knew she should have left him. Any sane person would have after everything he had put her through, but she could never bring herself to do it. He was her brother and she loved him through things, even when he really didn't deserve it.

"I haven't a clue what you are talking about," Klaus spoke, looking up from his sketch pad as he sat in one of the leather arm chairs. He knew that the tension between the two of them was still high. There wasn't much he could to do dissipate it so he left it alone, leaving the details to work themselves out. He had caught her up to date with the search for the swords, the four of them were set to head to New York in the morning. He had attempted to persuade Rebekah and Stefan to stay close to home and keep an eye on things there, but she had insisted on tagging along and once she made it clear she was going, Stefan saw no reason not to go as well.

"A month ago, Caroline wouldn't give you the time of day. She practically had you running back here with your tail between your legs, it was rather pathetic. And now she's letting you take her out. Please tell me you have not stooped so low as to compel the girl to go out on a date with you?" Rebekah asked, raising an eyebrow as she settled down into one of the couches.

"Things change," he said simply, not bothering to look up from his sketch pad. His date with Caroline was that evening and he couldn't deny that he was looking forward to it. He still felt as though something would happen to ruin it. The last few days had been a whirlwind of disaster. Between the Caroline's kidnapping and his suicidal hallucinations, Klaus was beginning to wonder what good being the most fearsome creature on the planet was if he wasn't able to stop these things. The date would be a much needed break for the two of them. Much to his chagrin, Caroline had made him promise not to leave the country with her on this date. It certainly threw a wrench in his plans to Paris. DC would have to do. They couldn't go far if they were to leave for New York the next morning.

"I didn't realize they changed so quickly." Rebekah's eyebrows rose suspiciously.

"They can, given the right set of circumstances." He closed his notebook, not caring to explain his rationale to his sister any longer. He shoved his pencil through the spiral of the sketch pad before pushing himself up from the chair.

"Right," Rebekah said slowly. "Well, please limit your fornication to your bedroom. If I have to see or hear anything of the sort, I will be searching for that White Oak Stake."

"Goodbye, Rebekah."

| With or Without You |

She was not nervous. Caroline Forbes had not been nervous over a boy since she had become a vampire and she wasn't about to start now. It didn't matter the circumstances. She would not be nervous about going out with Klaus or any other man. She had been dating since she was thirteen years old and just because he was an original did not mean he got any more anticipation than any other man that came to call on her. _He _should have been nervous. He was the one who had not been out without murdering his date in centuries. She was the first girl he had taken an interest in in centuries and that should have made him nervous.

But somehow she was the one standing in a towel and picking through her closet for the fourth time. It shouldn't have mattered. She had an entire closet full of dresses and sweaters, all of which she looked fantastic in, but nothing seemed to be appropriate. She hit the play button on her iPod dock and pulled out a handful of hangers, one of them had to be appropriate. Holding up each dress up in front of her, she sighed before throwing them all down on her bed.

"No, no, I'm not doing this. I'm just going to pick something and wear it," Caroline told herself before blindly picking up a hanger. Of course it was the one dress she had not even been considering and was completely wrong for the evening. Not that she knew what she was doing. Klaus had refused to tell her where they were going aside from saying they would not be leaving the country. It did not help as she tried to figure out what to wear. She finally huffed and threw it all down on her bed to start over again.

A half hour later, Caroline was dressed, running the straightener through her blonde hair once more. Her strapless plum dress clung to her from the waist up, bubbling out at her hips. Her leather jacket and heels sat on the bed with her purse, waiting to be used as a new set of headlights appeared in the front window.

"Caroline!" Liz called up the stairs. Caroline stepped into the black suede shoe boots and pulled on her jacket before heading down the stairs. "I don't suppose I get to give my gun speech?"

"Somehow I don't think that would be all that effective in this situation," Caroline giggled as she straightened the necklace hanging around your neck.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this," Liz admitted, looking over at her daughter.

Caroline cocked her head to the side. "Is this because of how crazy things have been lately or because of him?"

"I just don't want anything to happen to you because he has enemies. I don't want to see you lose your friends because of this when we both know it might not last. You know I worry about what's going to happen to you after I'm gone. Most parents only have to think about a few decades after they die. You are going to be alive for an eternity without-"

"Mom, it's a date. I'm not marrying him. I'm not running away with him. If this is about Elena and Bonnie, I'm not talking to Elena right now and Bonnie has more to worry about than my love life. Stefan won't-"

"Stefan is single now, have you ever thought about that?"

"Ew, Stefan is like my brother. Not to mention he's single, but he's the furthest thing from available. He's still getting over Elena, but that's not the point," Caroline said, looking over at her mother, "I like him and I know I shouldn't. I know that it might not last and I don't really understand why I feel this way, but it's there and since I'm going to live forever, I need to see what it is or I'm always going to regret it. It might be nothing. It might be fleeting. It might be a mistake, but it's one I have to make or I'm always going to come back to it."

"And how long do you think it will take you to figure this out?" Liz asked skeptically.

"I'll let you know." Caroline smiled, adjusting her bag on her shoulder before heading towards the door. "Bye Mom." She walked out the door and closing it behind her before running into Klaus.

"I may be mistaken, but isn't it customary to greet your date at the door?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a modern woman," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "That and I did not feel like listening to my mother give her cleaning her gun, I can track you down and pull arrest warrants speech."

"Now that I would have liked to hear." He smirked, pulling the car door open for her and helping her in.

"It's really not all that interesting. More her trying to put the fear of god in whoever takes out her only child. She did scare my homecoming date off completely freshman year, he didn't come back." She shook her head, buckling her seat belt. "So are you going to tell me where we are going or keep me guessing?"

"You know, a few more decades and that impatience will be gone." He slipped behind the driver's seat of the black Maybach before pulling out of Caroline's driveway.

"That didn't answer my question," she pointed out, crossing one leg over the other.

"DC," he answered simply.

"Very forthcoming with the details."

"You really don't enjoy surprises do you?"

"I've never really gotten a good one. The last time someone had a surprise for me, Katherine smothered me with a pillow and I nearly drained a nurse. Didn't exactly leave me dreaming of more surprises." She gave a dark chuckle, glancing over at him.

"Well, I can assure you, this one will be a good one."

Caroline nodded, agreeing against her better judgment to let him take the reins and not ask any more questions. The drive into DC was short but silent, allowing for Caroline's mind to wander to all of the different possibilities. What exactly was Klaus's idea of a surprise? He had been around for over a millennium, what exactly was a date to him? All the getting to know him that she had done over the last month seemed to slip out the window and her mind moved to torture chambers, innocent victims, and blood. All of this led to her letting out a breath of relief when they pulled up in front of a seemingly innocent three story building at the corner of 21st and Q.

The valet opened the door for her, but Klaus had already walked around the car and extended his hand to help her out. Taking it, she stepped out of the car and looked around. She smiled when she saw the sign. How she had not, in any of the million scenarios she had run in her head about tonight, imagined that he would bring her to an art gallery?

"I take it you approve of the venue?" He raised an eyebrow as he led her inside, his hand resting on the small of her back.

"It's very you."

"I will take that as a compliment. I much prefer smaller galleries to the larger ones we visited in Florence. This is one of the best in DC, not to mention the music is actually audible. Most museums play something akin to elevator music on the showroom floor. Jazz is much more complimentary to modern art." He motioned to the jazz band playing in the corner.

"Is this an opening?" she asked, looking around at all of the people in the museum.

He shook his head, "They've simply embraced the theory that good art should be enjoyed with good wine and music." He left her in front of one of the pieces, walking off to find the bar before returning with two glasses of red wine, handing one to Caroline.

"Thank you," she nodded, taking the glass. She turned towards the painting they were standing in front of, leaning in close "So what am I looking at?" she whispered, a move that sent a chill down his spine.

"Well," he said, taking a moment to regain his bearings. "That's the beauty of modern art, love. Your guess is as good as mine."

Caroline tilted her head to the side, taking it in and trying to approach the painting from all angles. "It's angry. He seems very angry," she said with false certainty.

A small chuckle left his lips, "It's called the Joy of the Heart." He nodded towards the plaque next to the painting.

"Well," she started, trying to formulate an excuse, "Maybe his heart is black and void of feeling and anger is his joy. I'm just saying it's possible."

He brought his wine glass to his lips, hiding another smirk as Caroline talked herself into a corner on the piece of art.

"Well, what about this one?" she asked him, pointing her wine glass towards the next painting, a large six by eight canvas that was filled with reds and blues and violet. They took a step towards it, standing in front of it as they both took it in.

"Unfortunately, this one is not a fair contest because I happen to be familiar with this particular piece. It's supposed to be about how broken and disturbed people are on the inside, but how none of it shows. They just project perfection and whatever image they want the world to see."

Caroline squinted, thinking about it for a minute, "I can see that. The brighter colors are pushing down the darker ones. People always try to hide the darkness with the light."

"Some of us embrace it."

"Or try to hide the light with darkness until they want people to see it," she countered with a smirk, using his trick and hiding it with her wine glass as she took another sip. The conversation around each piece was much the same. Caroline's theories on them were always outlandish and never made sense, Klaus's were usually correct. It didn't seem to deter her from trying, though.

"Now this one I like," Caroline said, stopping in front of a large print of New York City.

"We'll be there this time tomorrow and I can assure you, it's much more impressive in person," Klaus spoke, his arm sliding around her waist as he came to a stop behind her. "I will have to take you to the Met while we're there. You will love it."

"Aren't we going to be busy trying to find the sword?" she asked, turning her head to look at him, momentarily startled by the proximity.

"Personally, I'm not a fan of the all work and no play method. It would be a crime against nature if I didn't show you the sights," he spoke, lingering close for a moment. Caroline thought he might kiss her again. She was ready for it, she _wanted_ it, but instead he brought his wine glass to his lips once again, finishing its contents. She let out her breath slowly before doing the same. "I believe it's time to get you home. Early flight and all," he whispered against her ear, his fingers sliding painfully slow from her hip to the small of her back and all Caroline could manage was a forced, "Uh huh."

"So am I allowed to walk you to the door or does that conflict with you being a modern woman?" Klaus asked with a subtle smirk as he reached a hand down to help her from the vehicle after pulling into the Sheriff's driveway.

"If that flicker of the blinds up there is what I think it is than my mother will probably shoot you in the foot if you don't, or you know, the head since she can't kill you," Caroline said. "It might be difficult to explain to the neighbors though. Better this way." She smirked, taking his hand and sliding out of the car. Caroline carefully considered what she would say on the way to the door, how long to keep him on her porch, whether or not she would kiss him. She had a habit of other thinking things and this would be no exception.

Klaus smirked as he watched her lose herself in thought. He couldn't be sure what she was thinking about, but he could see the wheels turning in her eyes as they reached the porch. His hand settled on her hip as they came to a stop in front of the door. She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off, "I'll see you in the morning, Caroline." His lips brushed against her cheek before he opened the front door for her, making sure she got inside before returning to his car.

Caroline wandered inside, closing and locking the door behind her. She bit her lip, still trying to process what just happened. He hadn't even tried to kiss her. Not even a little. Her mind couldn't quite wrap around that. She pulled her heels off, holding them in one hand as she wandered up the stairs.

"So how was the date?" Liz asked, stopping Caroline in the hallway on the way to her room.

"He didn't kiss me," she said, still in mild shock as she wandered into her bedroom.

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry chapters have lapsed this week, everything is kind of crazy with thanksgiving and school this week. I'm glad you guys are hanging in there with me! I really hope you enjoyed their date. The trip to New York is up next. **


	17. Everybody Talks

**Author's Note: So this is a big chapter for me because I hit my 50,000 word goal for National Novel Writing Month and I'm seven days early! This is kind of big for me because I barely hit 10k last year. This does not mean I'm going to stop writing though, so don't worry! I really love this story and I hope you do too. **

**Chapter Seventeen – Everybody Talks**

_Hey baby won't you look my way  
I can be your new addiction  
Hey baby what you gotta say?  
All you're giving me is fiction_

"If we're taking a private jet, why do we have to leave so early?" Caroline asked, adjusting the sunglasses over her eyes as she dropped into the passenger's seat of Stefan's Roadster. She hadn't slept much the night before and she could thank Klaus's confusing end of date behavior for that. She had spent most of the night tossing and turning in bed, trying desperately not to think about the way his lips felt as they brushed up against her ear or his hand sliding around her hip. It shouldn't have bothered her so much. It was a good date, a very good date, but she should have been able to leave it at that instead of obsessing about the way his fingers brushed over her skin or his lack of a kiss at the end of the evening. She still hadn't quite gotten over the absence of that kiss. Even a little peck. Did it mean something? Was he losing interest now that the chase was over or had he built her up in his head only to be let down by the reality? She had to stop thinking about it. They had business to attend to. The sword was the number one reason they were taking this trip, not the trip to the MET Klaus had promised, not the possibility of anything else happening while they were there. Just the sword.

"It's nine. I'd hardly call that early," Stefan glanced over at her as they drove down the highway on their way to the airport. "You can sleep on the plane. I hope you brought headphones though. This whole trip might be easier with headphones actually. Rebekah and Klaus still aren't on the greatest of terms."

"Rebekah is coming?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. That was the last thing she needed. Rebekah may have hated Elena more, as Stefan has pointed out recently, but she was still not a fan of Caroline's. It was going to be awkward, she could feel it already. She could hope to avoid her, but she didn't know the sleeping arrangements or how long they would be there.

"She didn't want to be left home while we did everything. I don't know if Klaus trusted her home alone with the other swords. Even at her worst, I don't think Rebekah would do anything to hurt her brother to that extent, though." Stefan shook his head. "I'm sure I'll need a drinking buddy while we're there. She's more than capable of filling that position."

"Hey, don't go filling my best friend position. I'm more than capable of being your drinking buddy when you need one," Caroline said defensively as she slid her sunglasses off to look over at him.

He held his hands away from the wheel in innocence for a moment, "I'm not filling your position. I just figured you would be busy." She gave him a quizzical look before he continued, "How did your date go, by the way?"

Her eyes widened momentarily. It wasn't exactly a secret, but she had not rushed to Stefan to tell him. Things between her and Klaus were tentative right now, she wanted to know what she was getting herself into before she started burning all of her bridges, though she didn't think Stefan would be quick to judge. "It went really well," she started slowly, as if nothing was wrong.

"Were you going to tell me or was I just going to be surprised when I got the wedding invitation in the mail?" he asked, amused by her avoidance tactic.

"I would have. I just needed to know what was going on first. I mean, it's Klaus on a date. I didn't know what was going to happen. He could have taken me on a killing spree or a torture chamber or a swingers club, I don't know. I just needed to know first," Caroline tried to explain herself, not really sure if she was doing a good job or not.

"And?"

"He took me to an art museum in DC."

"_And_?"

"You sound like a nosy housewife right now, Stefan. It's not a good look for you." She shook her head, meeting his look of disapproval. She huffed, playing with the strap of her purse in her lap. "Fine. It was nice. We had a great time and an actual conversation that didn't revolve around football or the supernatural or high school. Nothing happened though, he didn't even kiss me. So that look of worry and disapproval, you can wipe that right off your face."

"I didn't say anything." Stefan shook his head, the smirk spreading across his lips.

"You didn't have to." She rolled her eyes, settling back into the passenger's seat as they pulled onto the airport tarmac.

"I'm not judging, I just want you to be careful," he said as he put the car into park.

"Why do people keep telling me that?" She unbuckled her seat belt before looking up at him. She was a grown woman, an adult according to the law, and a vampire for crying out loud, she wanted to be treated like one. Everyone always questioning her judgment made her want to do nothing but scream. She didn't have all of the answers, but half the fun was figuring it all out.

"Maybe because you are going out with Klaus?" he suggested. She gave him a look before rolling her eyes and turning to get out of the car.

"I just want you to be happy, Caroline. You deserve it," Stefan said before they both got out of the car. He popped the trunk and pulled both of their bags out, not bothering to comment on how heavy Caroline's bag was for what they anticipated would be a short trip.

"Caroline," Rebekah said, looking up from the magazine that rested in her lap when the other blonde walked into the airplane cabin.

"Rebekah," Caroline echoed the girl's tone perfectly as she slipped into a seat she had sat in the last time she was on this plane, beginning to fish through her bag for her iPod or anything she could use to avoid having an actual conversation. She shrugged off her jacket, hanging it over the arm of the chair.

"I feel I should inform you that if you break my brother's heart or harm him in anyway, especially if this is all one big plot to kill him like you all normally do, I will take great joy in separating your heart from your body," Rebekah told her with a startlingly calm demeanor for someone who just threatened her life.

"I'll keep that in mind?" Caroline raised an eyebrow before giving an uncomfortable nod. The threat had been odd, but Caroline knew it was true. This trip was already off to a bad start. Part of her wondered if it would be safer to march right off the plane.

"This trip will probably go a lot smoother if you just let the big kids handle things," Rebekah said, closing her magazine and setting it aside.

"Unless you have something you'd like to share with the class, Rebekah, I think all four of us are in the same position when it comes to finding this thing," Caroline retorted, looking up from her open purse when she was done speaking, "This trip will go a lot smoother if we all work together and don't try to kill each other in the process of finding it. We could use the help."

"I'm going to have to agree with Caroline on that one, Sweetheart," Klaus said as he walked away from the cockpit, lowering himself into the seat next to Caroline who was still trying to busy herself with her phone and head phones. Rebekah looked to Stefan who simply held his hands up, refusing to comment. She rolled her eyes before heading off to the back of the plane where the alcohol was located, ignoring the pilot's announcement that they were taking off. "Sorry about that, love. She's still a little testy after her rest. How was the rest of your evening?"

"Rest? Is that what we're calling daggers these days?" Caroline asked giving him a look before shaking her head. "It was fine, just got some sleep," she lied through her teeth. She didn't know what to say. It wasn't as though she could tell him that she hadn't slept at all because he hadn't kissed her. Her worries about him losing interest seemed to die down, but that didn't stop her wondering what the reason for the lack of a proper goodnight was. She continued to search through her bag before coming up successful and pulling her iPod from the depths of the bag.

Klaus smirked in response, watching her fidget with her purse and the electronic device. "We'll be in the air for less than an hour, I hardly think that's necessary," he nodded towards it, picking up one of the earbugs and pressing it to his ear before she could stop him. "This is what passes for music these days?"

Caroline looked at him incredulously, "I'm sorry I wasn't alive when Beethoven composed his fifth symphony, but I happen to like," she paused looking down at the iPod screen to see what he was listening to and immediately recoiling into her seat when she saw Taylor Swift flashing across the screen. "Alright, admittedly that one is a bit of a guilty pleasure and I refused to be judged for the music I only listen to when I'm alone in the car."

"Rebekah spent most of this week blaring this noise to anger me, I'm certain I've heard worse." He made a face before returning the iPod to her hand.

Caroline couldn't help the smirk that took over her lips when he mentioned that, "I'm starting to like Rebekah a little more. She plays dirty. I can respect that," she laughed, placing the device in her purse and setting it aside. "So do you have another mansion in Manhattan I should know about? Pre-war on Park Avenue or something equally impressive?" she asked, using all of her Sex and the City knowledge.

"No, actually. New York was never all that impressive to me. Chicago was my preferred playground. New York has always been a bit crowded for my tastes. I've booked the Royal Apartment at the Waldorf, I'm sure you'll be comfortable there."

"Must we always talk about Chicago?" Rebekah asked, dropping into her seat unceremoniously without spilling a drop of her wine. "It was bad enough I had to live through it, I don't want to hear you two talk about it over and over again. It's maddening." Rebekah looked from Klaus to Stefan before bringing the glass to her lips again.

"So," Caroline started, trying to defuse the tension, "any idea how we're going to find this thing? I mean it's not like we can just dig it up like in Florence. How are we supposed to get to it under the ground?"

"If it's even buried," Stefan piped in, glass of bourbon in his hand as he leaned on the top of Caroline's seat.

"He makes a fair point. The first two swords were in Europe, buried with the original members of the five. For it to be in America, it would have been moved a minimum of six hundred years later. It's a very big possibility it's in a private collection or being passed down through someone's family," Klaus agreed, leaning back in his seat as the plane began to level off in the air.

"Well that sounds like a needle in a haystack," Caroline sighed, sliding down in her chair.

"I think we'll manage to find our needle," Stefan commented, sharing glance with Rebekah before downing the rest of his drink.

Once the plane landed at Teterboro Airport, the foursome slipped into a waiting SUV to take them to the hotel, but the ride over was less than smooth. Rebekah was still on a warpath about being left out of the plan to begin with, only fueled by Caroline's presence. Klaus was in no mood for her verbal chess and by the time they reached the hotel, she could tell he had had it.

"Come on," Caroline said, taking Klaus's arm as they stepped out of the SUV. "We have things to do."

"I hardly think this is the time," he said, a cheeky smile appearing on his lips before Caroline glared at him, letting him know that was not at all what she meant.

"It's either this or Stefan and I lock you and Rebekah in the car until you work out your issues while we go get drunk because I'm not going to spend this entire trip listening to the two of you fight about something that already happened. Between you three and Damon, I am so glad I don't have siblings" Caroline said, her hands moving to her hips as she looked from Klaus to Rebekah. "He…left you in the dark for a while," she chose her words carefully as they stood on the street in front of the hotel for a while, "I'm not condoning it, but we can't change it and you are here now so putting in little digs about how it happened every few minutes is not helping matters any. And you," she looked back to Klaus, "Threatening her with the same fate every time she does or says something you don't like is counterproductive. We're here for a reason. So suck it up and kill each other when you get home. " She adjusted her purse on her shoulder, standing her ground. "Now, let's go. We have a mission to accomplish." She turned on her heel beginning walk down the street in no particular direction considering she didn't know where she was.

"Well," Rebekah said, straightening out her jacket. "I'm not sure if I want to kill her or take her out for a drink after that little speech."

Klaus let the smirk spread across his face. "I say the latter, get the bags settled," he instructed before moving to catch up with her.

**A/N: Another reminder that the Klaroline Awards voting will come to a close tomorrow, so make sure you get your votes in before then! You can vote even if you are not on tumblr. Please review!**


	18. Spinning

**Chapter Eighteen - Spinning**

_I can't remember when the earth turned slowly  
So I just waited with the lights turned out again  
I lost my place but I can't stop this story  
I've found my way, but until then  
I'm only spinning_

"Not that I don't appreciate you taking charge, but where exactly are we going, love?" Klaus asked, struggling to keep up with Caroline without breaking into a jog. Those long legs certainly carried her quickly, though they were moving too quickly for Klaus to properly admire them. She had been speed walking for three blocks now, headed in no direction in particular. If she was headed towards the MET, he didn't have the heart to tell her she was headed in the wrong direction.

"Well, after what you said on the plane, I did a little research of my own. I had plenty of time to look things up on my phone while you and Rebekah were arguing in the car about everything under the run. I looked up some antiquities dealers on my phone, specifically ones that specialize in weaponry. I thought one of them might be able to lead us to the sword." She turned and showed him the address on her phone, before fiddling with it and sending Stefan a text to let him know where they were headed. "One of them works in Korea Town which is supposed to be in this direction," she explained, slowing her stride now that he was at her side.

His eyebrows rose, impressed that she had actually managed to get a step ahead of him. It was not often that someone was able to accomplish that feat. "By all means, lead the way," he motioned forward, sticking close to her side once she began walking again. "Who exactly is this person?" he asked, trying to fill the silence between them. She seemed off and he couldn't quite place why. She had been fine the night before, cheery even. It was the most receptive he had ever seen her. She was always on guard with him, but something had changed the night before. She had relaxed, but her wall seemed to be back and he couldn't figure out why.

"I'm not sure. I found him on google, but he's supposed to be one of the best in New York. It might be a dead end, but we haven't wasted that much time if it is. There is other places to try. Someone has to know something. Bonnie really needs to brush up on her witch coverage. An exact address would have been nice," Caroline rambled, folding her arms over her chest as they walked, affectively closing herself off. "We'll see if anything comes of this." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Sounds like you have everything figured out then, love," he said, clasping his wrist behind his back as they walked. It was all so stiff, but he said nothing. He wouldn't let his mind wander to why her behavior had shifted so much; he did not have time to think of such trivial things. He had not done anything to upset her in the last eighteen hours. He had not even tried anything the night before, he was trying to take things slow with her.

The first few people they met with were less than helpful. The specialist at the Guggenheim looked at them like they were crazy, explaining that he had never seen such a sword and doubted its existence. Two different collectors told them they would never find something so specific and finding a sword that was less intricate would be better for them. That patronization alone made Klaus want to kill them both on the spot, but Caroline was quick to remind him how counterproductive cleaning up a body would be. It wasn't until the head of the archeology department at Columbia pointed them in the direction of a small weapons store in the East Village that they actually felt like they might be getting somewhere.

Once they reached the small store front, Klaus stopped Caroline out front. "What is your plan Caroline? I sincerely hope you don't plan on marching in there and simply asking where the sword is."

She raised an eyebrow, "Why not? It's not like he has any idea what he has."

"That's not a good idea, Caroline. Subtly, remember? The less people aware of what's going on, the better."

"Fine. Can't we just compel him?"

"I've got a much better idea," he said the smirk appearing on his lips once again.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this idea?" she asked. She knew better by now, that smirk meant whatever he was thinking was not going to be something she would agree to do, but he wasn't giving her much of a choice.

"Just go with it, sweetheart." He held open the door for her, allowing her to head in first before following after her. The worn out bell rang out announcing their presence to whoever was hiding in the back. The store was empty, but Caroline could tell they were in the right place. The walls were lined with every type of weapon she could imagine. Guns, knives, swords, crossbows, crude looking stones and spears behind glass that looked like ancient relics of another civilization. Both of them gravitated towards the glass case at the front, looking at all of the sabers swords lined up in it.

"I feel like we just walked into a video game," she said her fingers pressed against the glass as she leaned down to get a closer look at the swords to see if any of them matched.

"Can I help you?" Caroline heard a voice from the other side of the counter ask, she popped up appearing at Klaus's side, his arm snaking around her waist as she did so, throwing her for a moment, but she didn't let it show. She looked at the man. He looked to be mid-twenties, messy blonde hair, a wrinkled t-shirt haphazardly hanging on his frame.

"My wife and I are looking for a sword. We are attempting to procure one to complete our collection of Eastern European weaponry. Old hobby, passed down through the generations. We've been told by a collector in DC that we may be able to find it in New York," Klaus spouted out like it was the most natural response in the world. Caroline wanted to glare at him for putting her on the spot like that. She couldn't though; suddenly his 'just go with it' made a lot more sense. So she did. Her hand rested on his shoulder, allowing him to pull her closer.

"How exactly did you hear about me?" the man asked suspiciously, "Small shop and all. Curious to see how the advertising is working."

"Internet," Caroline said cheerfully, holding up her cell phone. "You are supposed to be one of the best in the city. We thought we would start here. You are Vaughn Maxwell, correct?"

The man continued to stand there for a moment before shaking off whatever was he was thinking about, "Of course. What are you looking for?"

Caroline scrolled through her phone for a moment before pulling up a picture of one of the swords. "It looks like this. You can't really see the designs in the picture, but they are really intricate on the handle. It kind of looks like a-"

"Wheel," he finished her sentence for her, looking up to meet Caroline's confused gaze. "I recognize it and you are in luck. We just got this one in a few weeks ago from a private collector in Montauk. It's not going to come cheap though."

"Money is not a problem," Klaus said with an air of arrogance as his free hand reached for his back pocket, pulling out a money clip.

"I can have it sent over to your home."

"Oh we're staying at the Waldor-"

"Actually, we'd prefer to take it now, Mate. Bit of a time crunch," Klaus spoke again, handing the man a black credit card.

"Alright." He took the card before disappearing into the back of the store.

"I didn't realize one date meant we were married," Caroline said, looking up at Klaus with disapproval once the man had disappeared into the back. "A little warning would have been nice."

"And miss the look on your face? Where's the fun in that?" He smirked, shrugging his shoulders innocently as he looked down at her. "You didn't seem t mind all that much, love."

"I'm pretty sure he would have been confused if I objected to being married to you after you introduced me as your wife." She rolled her eyes before shaking her head. She watched as the man walked back with a case, setting it on the glass display case and opening it.

"Is this what you are looking for?" he asked.

"That's it," Caroline agreed.

Once the paper work was completed and Klaus had laid down an obscene amount of money, the two of them walked out of the small shop with the sword in hand. This time, Klaus was smart enough to hail a cab instead of following Caroline for fifteen blocks. He ushered her inside before climbing in himself and letting the driver know where to go.

"That was easier than I was expecting it to be," Caroline commented after he paid the cab driver and they headed into the hotel.

"Well, I would like to think after one thousand years of everything going horribly wrong, it is high time things begin to go right," Klaus spoke without sparing her a glance as he pressed the button for the elevator.

Caroline frowned at that statement, not wanting to think about the implications of his words. Things hadn't exactly gone well for her over the years, but from everything she knew about Klaus, he had it worse. She understood what it was like to have a father who would prefer you dead than in your current state, she couldn't imagine living with that for over a thousand years.

"How did it go?" Stefan asked as the two of them walked back into the hotel room.

"Successful venture," Klaus spoke, holding up the case that contained the sword before setting it down on the table in the suite as Caroline took a seat in one of the chairs.

"That was easy," Rebekah commented.

"Don't sound so surprised, love," Klaus told her, cocking his head to the side.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to accomplish your task within a few hours of our arrival. I packed for a week," Rebekah said, sounding slightly disappointed. "Well, we were just about to get a drink and a bite to eat. Would your two like to join us?"

"She wants the hunting, I just want the drink," Stefan clarified.

"Are you two coming?" Rebekah asked, looking from Caroline to Klaus.

Klaus looked to Caroline for a minute, trying to read her expression before looking back to his sister, "Run along. I think we'll find something else to occupy our evening." He told her before watching Rebekah and Stefan head out the door. He looked over at Caroline who looked a little confused. "How about a stroll?" he asked, offering her his hand to help her up.

"Sure," she said, taking his hand and letting him pull her up from the chair and onto her feet before following him out of the hotel. "Where are we going?" she asked curiously, her hands clasped behind her back as she walked next to him.

"There's something I thought you would like to see," he said, taking note of her body language. She had been doing everything in her power not to touch him or invite touch all day long. "Is something the matter, Caroline?" he asked before sighing.

"Nothing," she told him, much too quickly.

"Caroline…" he began, watching as she bit her lip.

"You didn't kiss me," she finally burst. "It was the end of the evening. We were standing on my front porch. We had a good time. All of those are precursors to a goodnight kiss, but no, you just kissed me on the cheek and left. What does that mean? I mean, does that mean you had a horrible time or you just didn't want to kiss me? Were you expecting something else from-"

Her rant was abruptly cut off as Klaus cupped her cheeks and leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It took a moment for the shock to register before she reciprocated, but he pulled away as soon as she did.

"Being that you are a modern woman, if you wanted a kiss, you could have just asked for it," he told her with an undeniable smirk on his lips. "I was trying to be respectful of the fact that your mother was standing at the window watching us and I assure you that is the only reason I didn't kiss you goodnight, Caroline."

Caroline bit her bottom lip and nodded, "Good to know," she squeaked out, trying not to look embarrassed.

The smirk didn't leave his lips as he looked down at her. "Come along. I have something to show you." He extended his arm to her, waiting for her to wrap her hand around it before leading her away from the hotel. They walked a few blocks before turning the corner into an open area and Caroline immediately knew what he was leading her towards. She had been so wrapped up in the hunt for the swords and her mishaps with Connor and everything else going on in their crazy lives that she had neglected to notice how close it was to Christmas. Directly in front of her sat the 80ft tall Christmas tree decorated perfectly with thousands of lights sparkling in the night sky. There was quite the crowd gathered in the square. Many on the ice skating rink and the surrounding attractions, but Caroline was only interested in the Christmas tree.

Caroline had been obsessed with Christmas since she was a child. Everything about it; the food, the presents, the decorations, the music, the mood that seemed to engulf everyone around, but most of all the Christmas tree. When she was younger she liked to lie on the ground underneath the tree and stare up at the lights. It was easily her favorite holiday and she couldn't help wondering how he knew that. "It's beautiful."

"I thought you would enjoy it. It was either here or the empire state building, but I thought we might take advantage of the season," he told her, wrapping his arm around her as they walked towards the tree.

"I never took you for a Christmas person."

"I don't exactly observe the holidays anymore, but I can't say I mind Christmas."

"Does that mean I can call you Santa Klaus?" she smirked.

"Don't push it, Caroline."

Her smirk didn't waver as they walked around the square, finding a seat on one of the benches. "Do you have any good Christmas stories then?" she asked curiously, turning towards him on the bench.

"Nothing that particularly stands out. All the years blend together after a while. There was one year Rebekah, Elijah, and I happened to run into Kol a few days before. We don't often spend that much time together and when we do it usually ends in chaos and fighting, but that year in particular the war seemed to cease for a few days. Then everything went to hell a few days later when Mikael stormed the Villa in Italy we were staying in and ruined everything," he said, his voice taking a dark turn before shaking it away. "What about you?"

She thought about it for a moment. "The year before my dad left, my parents rented a cabin in the mountains for Christmas. I'm almost certain they were doing it to try to save their marriage, but I was seven and I really didn't know the difference or care. It was perfect. The cabin was adorable and there was snow and a fire place and it was the best. We were there for two weeks. It wasn't until a few days before Christmas, I started to panic because I didn't think Santa would be able to find us up there. I was terrified and crying about it so my parents called my uncle and he rented a Santa suit and drove all the way up to the mountains. He came down the chimney and everything, just so I didn't think Santa forgot me. It was the last real Christmas we had as a family," she said, her eyes never leaving the tree as she spoke. Klaus wasn't sure he had ever seen her look more beautiful than she did then. Her smile beaming as she spoke and the lights from the tree reflecting off her eyes. His hand moved to her chin, grasping it gently as he repositioned her head, leaning in to kiss her.

Caroline leaned in to meet his lips. The kiss began soft as one of her hands moved to the side of his face. His lips moved against hers with expert skill, gently sucking on her bottom lip before tracing it with his tongue, silently asking for admittance. Her free hand moved to him, one grasping gently at the front of his jacket, the other weaving into his dirty blonde curls to keep him close. She leaned into him as his hands encircled her waist, his fingers slipping beneath her shirt and dancing along the skin of her lower back. She fought to hold back the moan threatening to escape against his lips as he touched her bare skin. His lips began to brush against her jaw, moving down her neck, the feeling making Caroline's breath quicken.

"Maybe," Caroline began as his lips descended the column of her neck, "We should go back to the hotel? If we keep going out here they are going to call the police." She looked up at him when his lips moved away from her neck.

He gave her a nod before wrapping an arm around her and leading her back to the hotel and into the elevator. He quickly pressed her against the elevator wall, his lips returning to her neck to finish their work. He smirked each time he drew a moan from her lips, his fingers tracing down her sides, only pulling away when the elevator reached their floor. He pulled the key card from his pocket and slipped it in the door before pulling her inside.

"What the hell?!" Caroline yelled as she and Klaus slipped in the hotel room. He turned abruptly to see what she was yelling about just in time to see Rebekah and Stefan both scrambling with their clothes. "This is what bedrooms are for!" Caroline yelled, covering her face with her hands.

"I thought you guys were going to get a drink?" Klaus asked, groaning as he turned away from the sight.

"We did, then we came back," Rebekah announced pulling her shirt over her head.

"That's more of you than I ever wanted to see," Caroline said, the disgusted look still gracing her features. "I'm going to bed. Please never do that again." Caroline said before walking off to her bedroom and closing the door.

Klaus cursed under his breath, before stalking off to his own room. He wasn't sure if he was angrier about Stefan defiling his sister or that ruining his evening with Caroline.

Caroline opened her suitcase and pulled out a pair of pajamas. She changed into them before crawling into bed. Sleeping seemed impossible. She couldn't think about anything but Klaus's lips pressed against her neck or his fingers trailing over his spine. She considered going to his bedroom, but each time she was faced with the possibility of running into Stefan or Rebekah and she wasn't sure she could do that right now. Instead she tried not to think about it, tried to sleep, but none of it was working.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she heard the door click open and an extra weight on the bed. A smirk spread across her lips, wondering if Klaus had the same idea that she had. Turning towards the source of the movement, she was shocked to see someone other than Klaus. It took a moment to register that it was the man from the shop earlier. He was already lunging forward by the time she saw the stake. Her hands flew out to stop him, one catching his wrist as the other pressed against his chest keeping him away. She didn't understand why he was so strong. Then it hit her. Hunter. She struggled against him, the space between the tip of the stake and her heart was closing.

"Caroline, I-" Rebekah stopped speaking as she saw the scene in front of her. Within seconds, she had the man off of Caroline and the two girls together had him pressed down against the bed face first.

"Don't kill him, I think he's a hunter," Caroline told her as the other blonde nodded, opting to knock him unconscious instead of snapping his neck like she wished to. They both stumbled back away from the bed and Stefan and Klaus walked into the room to see what all the commotion was.

"What happened?" Klaus asked, wrapping his arm around a distraught looking Caroline.

"I was coming in to see if Caroline had a curling iron I could borrow for tomorrow because I seem to have forgotten mine and I walked in on who ever this is trying to stake her," Rebekah said, shaking her head. Her gaze fell upon Caroline once again, "You really need to work on your strength. I know you are a baby vampire, but you couldn't even fight off a human."

"I don't think he's just a human. Look at the stake, he's one of them," she pointed out, peeling herself away from Klaus's arms to pick up the stake which bore the same marks as the one Connor had.

Klaus picked it up from Caroline's hand and examined it for a moment. "Well, I believe we've overstayed out welcome in New York. I'll call the pilot and have the plane prepped. We leave in ten minutes. No one is going to be here when he comes to. We don't have another potential waiting in the wings to be called up and end a hunters curse. No one can kill him." He instructed, letting Caroling change before helping her with her things and leading her would of the room so they could leave.

Caroline let out a breath of relief once the plane was off the ground. She was trying not to let what happened before bother her. Rebekah had stopped him before he had done anything to her, but the thought of how close the stake had been to her chest was still wearing on her. Without a word, Klaus set down the pencil he was sketching with and raised the arm rest between them before picking it up again. She curled her feet up underneath her a small smile forming on her lips as she looked across the cabin to the seats Rebekah and Stefan were seated in. "So," she started, "Are you two together now? Did I miss something?" she asked motioning between the two of them.

"No." They both answered automatically without looking at each other.

"So tonight was just-"

"I don't want to talk about it," Rebekah answered, folding her hands carefully in her lap.

"Bekah, doesn't like it when people point out her behavior, especially when she's been acting like a strumpet," Klaus spoke in a hushed tone without looking up from his sketch pad.

"I heard that," Rebekah snapped before pushing herself up from the chair and walking over to get herself a drink.

The rest of the flight was equally tension filled. Neither Rebekah or Stefan were speaking to each other or Caroline and Klaus. She wouldn't even look at her brother, barely sparing anyone a glance aside from the bottle of wine in her hand. She was more than content to pay attention to the red liquid than anything else. Caroline was more than content to sit in the silence of the cabin and try to stay awake.

Once they arrived back at the Virginian airport, Klaus picked up the bags and headed out to the car. Ushering Caroline inside and letting Stefan take Rebekah. They seemed to have some things to discuss he didn't want to stand in the way of that.

"You don't think he knows where we live do you?" Caroline asked as Klaus pulled into her driveway. "I know it's unlikely, but there's no way."

"No, I don't believe so," he spoke, turning the car off.

"Are you sure? He was already in the hotel room. He figured out where we were staying."

"That's because you told him when we were in the shop."

"Oh," she said, looking down at her hands.

"Do you want me to come in Caroline?"

"No, I mean, I don't need you to. I'm a big girl, I can protect myself," she said, her words filled with false bravado.

"I would feel better if I at least went in and took a look around," he told her, sensing her hesitation on showing any weakness.

"If that's what you need to feel better." She nodded, sliding out of the car, pretending she didn't see the smirk that spread across his features as they both slid out of the car and walked into the house and up to her bedroom. "You know you are already here and it's late, it doesn't make much sense for you to leave now." She pointed out. She didn't want him to leave, she was still nervous about the hunter even if he had no idea where they were. She was trying hard to not sound nervous, but she knew she probably wasn't fooling him.

"Alright, Caroline, if that's what you need to feel better," he repeated his words back to her with a smirk.

"I'm going to go change," she said, pulling the pair of pajamas from the drawer and walking out of the room and to the bathroom to change. When she returned, Liz was waiting for her in the hallway in her robe, a look of disapproval.

"I let it go when you were kidnapped, but having thousand year old vampires in your bed is not going to become a regular thing," Liz told her, tightening the tie on her robe.

"It won't. It's just been on a long day," Caroline said, giving her the best pout she could manage.

"Tonight is the last time, Caroline. And if I so much as hear a bedspring, he's gone," she warned, making Caroline cringe.

Caroline just nodded, thankful that she couldn't blush anymore. "Night Mom."

**Author's Note: Hey Everyone! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Break, that's why this chapter is so late being posted. It's a bit longer than normal, so let me know what you think.**


	19. Howl

**Chapter Nineteen – Howl**

_Now there's no holding back, I'm making to attack  
My blood is singing with your voice, I want to pour it out  
The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound_

"What are we doing out here?" Caroline asked as she followed Klaus through the woods, her arms folded over her chest as she tried not to step in any mud with her suede boots. The snow that had blanketed over Mystic Falls a few days ago was now beginning to melt, turning the entirety of the town and surrounding forest into a slushy mess. The forest was quiet, the only sound was the only sound was that of their boots trudging through the mud, leaf, and ice mixture that was accumulating and Caroline's occasional sighs as they walked further into the woods behind the mansion.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have the patience of a flea?" he asked with an amused look on his face as he paused for a beat, giving her a chance to get in step with him, only walking again when she had reached his side.

"Yes," she answered unabashedly, "but you didn't answer my question."

"Rebekah's right, Sweetheart. You don't have a brilliant handle on fighting," he told her. Caroline gave her a look before opening her mouth to protest, but Klaus put his hand up to stop her and allow him to continue. "I'm not denying your endurance and strengths. You took more from the hunter than I believe most vampires would be able to endure, not to mention the other times, but I think a lesson in tactical fighting might be the best thing for you. Since I am not by your side every moment of every day, I would take some comfort in knowing that you can defend yourself should this become a theme as I fear it already has."

"I'm not that bad. Connor just snapped my neck; there wasn't much I could do. I didn't see him coming." Her hands attached to her hips, trying to defend herself. "It's like I have a target on my back. Kidnap me! Torture me! Try to kill me!" Her lips formed a small pout as she came to the conclusion that he may be right.

"Well, love, that's sort of my point." He reached into his back pocket and produced a silk handkerchief, one Caroline could tell had been very expensive.

She tilted her head to the side at the sight of it as an amused expressing took over her face. "Contrary to what you might thing from your previous experience, I don't actually enjoy having sex in the woods. Heat of the moment. I do like beds, although the blindfold is a nice touch."

His smirk turned devilish, nearly abandoning his plans for the one she had just laid out for him. They had not had any alone time since Stefan and Rebekah's show a few days before and the mere notion of Caroline's skin pressed against his caused his jeans to tighten, but he pushed that thought aside, clearing his throat, "There will be time for that later. For now, this is simply a tool to force you to rely on your other senses." He crossed behind her, folding the silk in half and placing it over her eyes before beginning to tie it behind her head. "Your problem, my dear, is lack of focus. You need to pay attention to your surroundings at all times."

Caroline listened as his voice flooded around her. He seemed to be keen on whispering in her ear, but she guessed that attackers would not be so courteous as to let her know exactly which side they were coming from. She understood why he was doing this, but it was still a strange feeling being blindfolded, especially when she could feel him standing behind her. Her back straightened as she tried to do what he told her to and focus on everything around her, finding it difficult when she could feel his breath on her neck.

"Alright, I'm going to come at you. Pay attention to the sounds and your senses. You should be able to tell which direction it's coming from," he told her and within a second the breath on the back of her neck was gone.

"Klaus, I don't know if this is such a good idea. The ground is really muddy and you didn't tell me we were going to get this dirty, I wouldn't have worn new shoes," she pouted slightly, but he didn't answer, forcing her to play along with his game. She reached up to tuck the blonde curls behind her ears to she could try to listen for him and tell where he was.

Klaus stalked around her like a predator and she was his prey. He knew she didn't have much of a chance of stopping him or even figuring out which direction he was coming from. He had been playing this game for over a thousand years and she hadn't even made it through her first year yet, but she would get better and if he taught her then he wouldn't lose her. He smirked to himself as she turned wildly, trying to ascertain which direction he was in. She was doing better than he expected, each of her turns marked where he had been a few moments before, but it still wasn't enough. He watched her for a few moments before taking his cue and going after her. His arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her up in the air. She fought back a bit, but eventually he got the best of her. His hand pressed against her back, just where her heart would be as the other cradled her neck. Instead of snapping, he pressed his lips against the tender skin, traveling up to her ear. "You're dead."

Caroline pulled the blindfold up and spun around in his grasp so she could face him. "That's not fair. I wasn't really trying."

"Oh? And why is that, love?" he relinquished his hold on her.

"We're just practicing. I didn't want to hurt you," she said, her brow furrowing as her arms crossed over her chest.

He paused for a moment at her words, his mind forming words his mouth wouldn't say before shaking off the feeling. "I'm the original hybrid, Caroline. There is nothing you can do to hurt me that won't heal immediately." He took a step back. "We'll try again. This time, no holding back," he instructed once again, tugging her blindfold back into place before he stepped away once again. He stalked around her slower this time, his hands clasped behind his back as he watched the thoughts swirl in her head.

He waited a minute before taking her on again, coming at her from the side this time. To Caroline's credit, she did turn towards him at the last second before he lunged at her. Her elbow came up to his rib cab before she attempted unsuccessfully to pull him over her shoulder. His grip on her middle was too great for her to break without taking them both to the ground. Caroline groaned when she hit the ground, more upset that she was covered in mud than the fact that he had "killed" her again.

He stood up off of her, offering his hand to help her up, but she didn't take it, pushing herself up off the ground on her own. He watched as a new look of determination took over her face, causing his lips to twitch with a smirk. She was ready. He could tell.

She pulled the blindfold back over her eyes, "Do it again."

And so he did with similar results. Caroline ended up on the ground with his hand looming over a part of her that he could have killed her with, before he pulled her up and they started again.

"This isn't fair!" she yelled, crossing her arms. "You are an original and I've only been a vampire for a year, of course I can't beat you!" She brushed her cheek off in an attempt to wipe away some of the mud but only proved to smear it more.

"Life isn't far, Caroline. Do you think your enemy is going to hold back their strength or go easy on your because you are a young vampire? They won't. They are going to use your weakness to their advantage. They think you are weak, breakable, easy prey," he hissed against her ear.

"I'm not weak!" she yelled, growing angrier by the second.

"Then prove it," he snapped, before placing his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her. "Use their weaknesses. Everyone has them." He took his hands off her for a moment to throw off her bearings before wrapping them around her tightly. His hand advancing to her neck as if to snap it. Caroline grabbed his arm and tried to turn him over her shoulder but he anticipated it. She should have known better. Her mind moved a million miles a minute, trying to come up with something that would work. She didn't want to be "killed" again. It was getting humiliating at this point.

She wiggled and twisted her body in his grasp, ducking away from his hands before she was able to turn her body around enough to press her lips against his. Her fingers threaded into his hair, deepening the kiss as his grip loosened. His hands trailed over her back, pressing her body into his. She began a trail up his jaw, nipping at his skin until she reached his ear, her hands cupping his face. "You're dead," she whispered against his ear before pulling back enough to smirk.

"Well played, love, but you forgot one thing," he told her. His hands slid down her back and cupped her bottom. Within seconds, he lifted her, pressing her back against the nearest tree as her legs wrapped around his waist. "Never underestimate your enemy," he mumbled against her jaw before beginning his tantalizing trail down her neck.

Caroline bit her lip, holding back a moan as her ankles locked around the small of his back. The trail of hot kisses causing her eyes to close as his hips pressed against her jean clad core. She wanted this. _Oh did she want this._ It was hard to think about anything other than his lips after she had felt them pressed against her skin in New York and each brush of his fingers down her skin made her want it more. She dipped her head capturing his lips as her tongue delving into his mouth and beginning to explore every inch.

He shocked her by pulling away a few moments later, running his finger over her cheek to wipe away the mud. "I believe you said something about a bed earlier. I think I can do better than that." He led her back to the mansion, taking advantage of their speed to get back even quicker. Her back was pressed against the front door the moment it closed, their fingers worked in tandem unzipping her jacket and unbuttoning her sweater, rolling them both off her shoulders and letting them drop to the floor.

He pulled her with him up the stairs, making it halfway up the marble steps before stopping to press her against the railing. Leaving a trail of open mouthed kissed over her shoulders as his hands worked underneath her camisole to rid her of the garment as it got in his way. She pushed off his jacket, leaving it on the stairs with her clothes before moving further up the steps with him.

They made it as far as the entry way to his bedroom, this time Caroline pressed Klaus against the doorway. Her fingers found the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it over his head and dropping it to the ground before finding his lips once again. Her chest pressed against his, her nails scratching lightly down his sides as she tilted her head into the kiss.

"What do you say to a shower?" he mumbled against her lips as her fingers made quick work of removing his jeans.

"You can get clean while doing very, _very_ dirty things. That's the beauty of water," she mumbled, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. She wiggled out of her own jeans and kicking them to the side as he pulled her up against him once more and walked towards the bathroom. Setting her down on the counter, he claimed his rightful spot nestled between her legs. He found the spot where he had left off on her neck, continuing his trail downward as he planted a kiss between her breasts. His thumbs looped around the flimsy lace panties, yanking them down her legs and discarding them as lowered himself in front of her. He ran his hands up her calves, hooking behind her knees and pulling her to the edge of the counter before resting one on his shoulder.

Caroline took a deep breath, her head falling back against the mirror as he began to kiss up her inner thigh. Her hips tilted towards the edge, wanting nothing more than for him to reach the apex of her thighs. The anticipation was maddening, causing her fingers to curl around the edge of the counter as his hands found her hips. She had thought about this before, crossing her mind for the first time months before if she was being honest with herself. The fantasy didn't even come close to reality as his thumb moved inward and blushed over the swollen bud of nerves, drawing the first of many moans to come from her lips.

The sound was heaven to Klaus's ears. He craved it. He needed more of it. Experimentally, he rolled his thumb over it once again, watching in delight as Caroline's lips formed a perfect 'o' and another soft moan sailed from them. He trailed his middle finger down her slit slowly, dipping ever so slightly as he found her entrance, teasing her. She was so reactive. Her muscles contracted and tensed at the slightest of touch from him and he couldn't wait to overload her senses. Slowly, he allowed his finger to slip within her depths, finding a slow rhythm as he gauged her reactions. Her hips rocked towards the edge, trying desperately to get move of him and he was more than happy to give it to her. Her fingers gripping the counter as he added another finger, curling and scissoring them inside her, making Caroline gasp. He pressed his lips to her inner thigh, his fingers continuing their rhythm as his lips grew closer to their destination, teasing her before stopping just short and continuing the same path up her other thigh.

"Please," she whispered incoherently. She was drunk with need as she managed to look down at him, her eyes pleading with him to end the teasing.

As he heard Caroline groan in a mix of pleasure and frustration, he decided it was time to fully give into her. More than happy to oblige when the time came, his tongue swirled around the sensitive bud. He swore he felt her coil against his touch, making his own stomach tighten at the notion. His tongue flattened against her, his long strokes making Caroline's back arch. Her hand found the back of his head, fisting his dark blonde curls in fear of him pulling away from her.

He wouldn't dream of it. He loved the way her hips twisted and writhed underneath his touch, selfishly trying to get more. His tongue moved in tandem with his fingers, both of their speeds increasing as he turned his palm up and curled his fingers. He could feel the muscles of her core beginning to tighten and that only made him want her more. His lips closed around her clit humming against her until he felt her muscles contracting around his fingers.

The edge of the countertop turned to dust under her fingers as she cried out, her heel digging into his back as her back arched away from the mirror. "Klaus," she breathed out, panting as she relinquished her hold on his hair.

He looked up at her with a knowing smirk. "How about that shower, love?"

**Author's Note: I wanted to thank everyone who voted for me in the Klaroline Awards! I won best Caroline URL!**


	20. Little Bird

**Chapter Twenty – Little Bird**

_But if I kiss you will your mouth read this truth?  
Darling how I miss you, strawberries taste how lips do,  
And it's not complete yet, mustn't get our feet wet  
Cause that leads to regret, diving in too soon  
And I'll owe it all to you, oh, my little bird_

Caroline was a puddle. She collapsed back into bed for what must have been the third time that night, it was hard to keep count when she was losing the ability to form a coherent thought outside of _more. _ After their shower, they had somehow found their way into Klaus's large bed, buried under the red silk sheets. Her chest heaved as Klaus placed lazy kisses over her sweat soaked skin, steadily making his way up her body. He trailed a slow path up her sides with the tips of his fingers. He left no inch of her untouched as he reached her lips, covering her body with his before rolling over and bringing her against his chest.

"I'm glad we made it to the bed," Caroline said, looking up at him from under a fan of eyelashes, her eyes beginning to flutter from exhaustion. "I didn't know if it was going to happen after that hour in the shower," she added with a smile as he pulled her closer.

"Well, as tantalizing as you were in the shower, I knew you could be a revelation in bed. It would have been a sin not to explore our options," Klaus smirked against her shoulder as he planted a few more kisses there.

"Yes, because tonight was all about innocence," she said with a tired smirk as she nuzzled her face against his chest. "I should probably go home…" she trailed off in a yawn, making no effort to move an inch.

"Sleep, love. I assure you if the sheriff comes looking for you, this will probably be her first stop."

"She's working tonight," Caroline mumbled sleepily as she turned into him more, her leg slipping over his as he stroked her back with his fingertips. He had not taken her into the woods earlier that day with the intention of ending their evening this way, but he certainly couldn't complain about how things had gone.

As Caroline woke up from what had turned out to be one of the best nights of sleep of her life, she reached over to curl into Klaus's chest once more, surprised when she came up empty. Peeling her eyes open, she looked up to find an empty bed. It took her a moment to get her bearings, let the fact that she was naked in Klaus's bed sink in for a moment before she looked around and spotted the glass of blood waiting for her on the nightstand. It was a thoughtful gesture, one she hadn't expected from Klaus, but she was quickly learning that he was full of surprises. She picked up the glass and drank what she was sincerely hoping wasn't fresh blood before wrapping the sheet around her body and stepping out of the bedroom and making her way down the mansion stairs.

"Is that coffee I smell, because if it is, I might be happy enough to repeat last night on the kitchen…" she trailed off as she came to the door way of the sitting room and saw Damon and Tyler standing there in what looked to be a heated debate with Klaus. "…counter," she finished awkwardly, holding onto her sheet tighter as the two of them stared at her in disbelief.

"As tempting as that sounds, love, I'm a bit busy," Klaus told her, his eyes trailing over her form without any notion of rushing, "but we will definitely be visiting that option as soon as this business is taken care of."

Caroline was frozen under the watchful stare of all three men. Klaus's gaze was lustful and her face felt hot as memories of the evening before came flooding back in the most carnal sense. Tyler's was angry. His fists clenched at his sides and she wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do next, but she knew it wouldn't be good. And Damon's expression flickered from anger to amusement, before he finally burst out laughing.

"I'm going to go get dressed," Caroline said, awkwardly.

"Oh this is gold," he said, uncrossing his arms. "So when did you start banging Blondie?" She and Klaus both shot him a daggered look, one that matched, and that seemed to be even more comical to Damon.

"Really, Caroline? I break up with you and you fall that low?" Tyler asked, the rage surging through him as he looked from Caroline to Klaus. Caroline could see his eyes beginning to yellow as the anger built. "I was trying to be nice, but I was right before. You went and felt for the next guy who smiled at you. You are still that pathetic, insecure little twit I told Matt not to date two years ago."

Caroline watched as Klaus's nostrils flared in anger and he took a step forward. Damon leaned over to Tyler, "You might want to run."

Caroline tucked the sheet under her arm, it took her a beat to process what Tyler had said, but once she did, her jaw tightened. "No," she took a step towards the three of them, "Pathetic would have been taking you back after I found you and Hayley. Pathetic was me standing by your side like a politicians wife and defending you each and every time you screwed up in the past. Pathetic was me thinking that you meant it when you said I love you and you weren't simply trying to get me to have sex with you again. That was pathetic, I'll give you that, but this? Me actually moving forward with my life. Actually looking at my future outside of Mystic Falls is not pathetic. Me spending time with someone who doesn't insult me the second I make a decision he doesn't like is not pathetic. You getting jealous and angry because of who your _ex-girlfriend_ spends her nights with while your _actual_ girlfriend sits at home or in the woods howling at the moon, now that's pathetic."

"Ouch, Lockwood," Damon said, the smirk on his face only growing. "This is better than cable."

"I don't need your commentary, Damon!" Caroline snapped. "I have to take a shower and then I'm going to go home and I swear on all that is good in this world if either of you are still here when I come back downstairs Klaus will be the least of your problems." She turned on her heels, not waiting for a response as she marched back up the stairs.

Klaus could only smirk in her wake; clearly she could take care of herself. Fortunately, unlike Tyler, he knew better than to underestimate her. He watched her walk all the way upstairs, admiring the way the deep red silk dipped, exposing most of her back to him. Tyler did not seem to appreciate what had just happened as much as he and Damon seemed to.

"Clearly, you compelled her," Tyler snapped, his hands still shaky with anger.

"Do you really think I needed to compel her to be here or do you think this is what she's wanted all along?" Klaus drew another breath, every bit of his demeanor showing the annoyance he felt at that moment. "You really need to learn your place, Tyler. Do you truly think you can storm into _my _house and speak ill of _my girl_?" His possessive nature took over as he loomed over Tyler. "You are sorely mistake."

"She isn't your girl," Tyler bit out, standing his ground.

"Well, she certainly isn't yours," Klaus said, his arms uncrossed, his glare turning deathly. Tyler practically growled, bringing his fist back and attempting to throw a punch at Klaus, but the older hybrid was faster. Klaus caught his fist, twisting it and breaking the bones in his hand without effort. "Second mistake of the evening." He sighed before dropping his hand and twisting Tyler's neck unnaturally, letting the body drop on to his floor. Angry or not, he knew Caroline probably wouldn't forgive him for killing Tyler, though next time he decided to speak Klaus knew his anger would get the best of him. This was the best he could do at the moment. The crack of the boy's neck would have been more satisfying had he been human, but it would do for now.

Klaus looked up at Damon who was standing there, looking at Tyler temporarily dead body, "You heard the girl, get out of my house and take him with you. I wouldn't want to have to kill him again." He waved his hand before walking up the stairs to find Caroline. He had to smirk as he heard Damon cursing under his breath about how he wasn't a sired bitch before leaving without Tyler. One of the hybrids could deal with him. When Klaus reached the bedroom, Caroline was standing in his closet in a bra and panties. "What exactly are you doing, love?"

"You shredded the majority of my clothes last night. I have to go home in something," she said without turning around to look at him. She pulled on of the blue button ups he had hanging in the closet off the rack and pulled it over her shoulders. She had read an article in cosmo about making a dress out of a men's dress shirt for the walk of shame and if anyone could make it work, Caroline could.

"You could always go borrow something from Rebekah to go home in. Not that seeing you in my clothing is not enticing," he smirked, stepping forward to straighten the collar on her shirt.

"And explain to your sister that I need to borrow an outfit because her brother shredded mine in his rush to get me naked and underneath him? Somehow I don't' think that would go over very well." She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head.

"Or we could, of course, stay here, where clothing is always optional." His fingers traveled down to pop one of her buttons.

She wavered for a moment, wanting nothing more than to give in, but she couldn't. "As tempting as that offer is, I have to deal with this like a big girl. If Damon knows about us than Elena and Bonnie probably do now too. I have three missed calls from Stefan. If I don't deal with this now, I'm just going to keep crawling under the covers with you and not dealing with it. I have to take care of this." She rebuttoned the button he undid before pulling her jacket over her shoulders. The make shift dress wasn't exactly appropriate for going out in, but it would get her home.

He nodded, relinquishing his hold on her. He knew that she needed to take care of her friends, even if he would have much preferred her here with him. She was nervous, her hands fidgeted at her sides and her bottom lip was pressed between her teeth and not in the way he had made her do the same action the night before. "Come back after if you'd like," he offered, knowing the conversation she would have would not be the easiest for her. "I can take you out to dinner. In Paris perhaps." He stole a smile from her lips.

"I'll take it into consideration. I don't think my mother appreciates me leaving the country without permission anymore. You aren't going to score any points with her," she shook her head before looking down at the ground and taking another breath, "I heard what you said down there," she admitted, looking up at him. "I just wanted you to know that this is exactly where I want to be. I don't want to be a secret. I'm not going to lie to them." Her eyes lingered on his for a moment before she took a step back and walked out of the room.

Klaus stood there for a moment, not quite sure what to say. People stayed with him out of fear, out of obligation, out of family ties. They stayed near him because they were power hungry or desired something from him. No one stayed because they wanted him, just Caroline.

| With or Without You |

Caroline pulled up to her house and took a deep breath, not at all surprised when she saw Elena and Bonnie sitting on her front porch. This was going to make her outfit all that more embarrassing, but she could handle it. Carefully climbing out of the car, she walked towards the two of them, ignoring the judgmental looks on both of their faces. Bonnie opened her mouth to say something, but Caroline put her hand up to stop her.

"If you are going to lecture me, and I know you are, let me go inside and put my clothes on first because yes I am wearing Klaus's shirt because my clothes are destroyed," Caroline said, unlocking the front door and silently motioning for both girls to head inside. She left them in the living room as she headed up the stairs, checking her phone once again, sending Stefan a text to ask if he was alive since he kept calling. After changing into her own clothes, Caroline descended the stairs into the living room slowly, not at all looking forward to this conversation. "So," she began, her hand lingering on the banister as she stood on the top step looking into the living room, "I take it you've spoken to Damon?" She looked over at the two of them.

"It's not like you two made any effort to hide it," Elena scoffed.

The look on Caroline's face soured instantly, "I wasn't trying to hide it. Unlike you, I prefer not to keep men as my dirty little secrets." She dropped down into the arm chair opposing the couch, folding her arms over her chest.

"Well, maybe you should," Bonnie added before standing up. "I knew this was going to happen. I know he was going to weasel his way in when we started this whole stupid cure thing." Caroline shot her an incredulous look, warning her to stop talking before Bonnie waved her off. "I already told Elena and Damon all about your plans for the cure this morning. If you aren't going to be honest with us than I have no reason to keep your secrets."

"Um because you are my friend?" Caroline asked, her curls bobbing as she spoke. "This is ridiculous. I can't believe you would jeopardize everything we've been working for because you are mad about what happened with Klaus."

"I can't believe you would do anything with Klaus or even trust him at all," Elena said, jumping up from her seat to join Bonnie in scolding Caroline. ""He turned Tyler. He killed Jenna and Isobel, me!"

"And yet here you are," Caroline mumbled under her breath before she too stood up, not at all enjoying the feeling of being scolded like a child who had snuck out with a boy after curfew. "Who out of us hasn't killed someone or tried? You cheated on your good, loyal, loving boyfriend with _Damon_ so I don't think you really have any room to talk, Elena. He was doing this for _you. _ Trying to find this cure for _you._"

"Me being with Damon has nothing to do with you and Klaus!" Elena spat back, the veins under her eyes darkening the angrier she got. She was still a young vampire and her emotions were heightened.

"It does when you seem to think some people are below redemption, Elena," Caroline snapped.

"You lied to us, Caroline," Bonnie pointed out, reminding the two vampires that she was still there.

"I didn't lie!" Caroline yelled. "I don't remember you running to Elena when you started dating Jeremy or you mentioning that you were screwing Damon behind Stefan's back. I wanted to know if this is what I wanted before I told you because I knew you would react like this and you want to know the truth? It is what I want. I wasn't sure about him. I wasn't sure about any of this. I kissed him once in Florence and then I ran all the way back here and I pretended it didn't happen. We went on an actual date about a week ago, but it's been going on for a while, since Florence if I'm being honest with myself." She tapped her fingers against her legs as she told them what was going on. "I feel something for him and I know I shouldn't. I know he's done bad things and his motives aren't always in the right place, but he would never hurt me."

"Is this because Tyler cheated on you because there are other guys, Caroline," Elena crossed her arms over her chest.

"This has nothing to do with Tyler. Tyler made his decision and I made mine. I'm dating Klaus and if you don't like then I don't know what to tell you. You both have made decisions I didn't agree with. We don't have to agree with every decision the other one makes. You can have an opinion, I already know what that opinion is, but you don't get a say, because this is what I need right now. My last three boyfriends fed off me, broke up with me because I was a vampire, and cheated on me so regardless of how you feel about him I'm happy."

"Am I interrupting something?" Stefan asked as he stood in the doorway with a canvas military style bag hanging over one shoulder.

"Stefan what are you doing here?" Elena asked, her back straightening instantly. "Why do you have a bag?"

"Forgive me, but now that you've moved into the boarding house it's not exactly on my highest list of places to be. I came to see if I could crash in Caroline's guest bedroom for a while," he said, stepping into the house further.

"What?" Caroline screeched, her head jerking in Elena's direction. "You moved in with Damon already?"

"That's what I was calling you about, it's not like that," Stefan offered in an effort to calm her slightly, "Jeremy has been having vivid day dreams about killing Elena since he activated his hunter's mark. She's moved out and Matt moved in to keep an eye on him. I would still prefer not to be under the same roof at the two of you and have to hear things."

Caroline opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again, turning towards Stefan. "Of course you can stay here." She nodded before looking back to Elena, "You don't get to judge me for anything. I have things to do now so if you two are just going to judge. This is my house and I cannot storm out of it." She crossed her arms waiting for the two of them to exit. Elena huffed before heading out the door.

Bonnie pulled something out of her pocket before heading towards the two of them. "Here's where you can find the next sword. I'm doing this to help you and Elena, not Klaus. Remember that. He's still the bad guy," she reminded before following Elena out the door.

"I think I missed something," Stefan said as he set his bag down on the couch.

"Damon and Tyler saw me at Klaus's, standing in a bed sheet. As I'm sure you can imagine, it didn't exactly go over well. Damon told Elena and she and Bonnie have been lecturing me on my choice of men. Even better, Bonnie told them both about the cure and the swords so now we need to go tell Klaus that Bonnie spilled the beans on the cure before someone else tells him, then you and I are going to take a bottle of really expensive scotch from his house and get really, really drunk."

**Author's Note: So how AMAZING was last night's episode?! I still can't believe it was real and perfect. I'm sorry this chapter took longer than usual, it was kind of a crazy week for me, but here it is. I hope you like it!**


	21. Your Love

**Chapter Twenty-One – Your Love**

_Stay the night but keep it under cover  
I just wanna use you love tonight,  
I don't wanna lose your love tonight_

"How angry do you think he's going to be with us?" Caroline asked hesitantly as she and Stefan sat in her car on the way over to the mansion. Her fingers drummed nervously against the leather steering wheel as she drove. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, but she needed to know what she was walking into. She was confident that Klaus wouldn't hurt her, but she still didn't know what exactly he would do in his rage. Kill half the town? Burn it to the ground? It was yet to be seen.

"He's not going to be angry with you. You didn't want Bonnie involved in the first place. You tried to warn him it would backfire. He'll be angry, but he can't be angry at you," Stefan told her, trying to keep her from worrying too much. He knew Klaus wouldn't be thrilled about the new revelation, but he was sure Damon and Elena would be able to keep it a secret.

"I know, but this whole thing happened because I walked downstairs. It's my fault." She sighed, her speed slowing to a crawl as they drove through the downtown area, in no rush to go tell Klaus this news.

"He made no effort to warn you Tyler and Damon were there. He could have left you a note. Really, it's his fault. It'll be fine, Care. We'll figure out how to tell him as gently as possible."

"I would tell him naked?" she offered up with a laugh, her grip on the steering wheel beginning to loosen up a little. "Or we could tell him naked," she joked.

"That would work. Chicago was a turbulent time in my life," Stefan deadpanned.

"What?" Caroline yelled, slamming on the breaks and very narrowly avoiding being rearended. Her eyes fell on Stefan who was now smirking.

"I was joking. One hundred and sixty-five years and that is one bridge I have never crossed. It was just Rebekah for me in the twenties," he assured her as she stopped holding up traffic and began to drive again.

"That's not funny. I really don't need that mental image. That's all I'm going to think about next time I see Klaus." She scrunched up her nose. "What is going on with you and Rebekah anyway?"

"What's going on with you and Klaus?" he countered, avoiding the question.

"I'm serious. I saw you on top of her, naked. It was traumatizing for me, I deserve answers." Caroline looked over at him with a serious expression.

"There really isn't much there to tell. We were drinking in New York and one thing led to another and you know the rest. There hasn't been anything else to tell other than us getting a drink last night. That was only because neither of us wanted to listen to our siblings have sex at home." He cringed at the thought.

"Well do you want something to happen between you and Rebekah?" she asked as she pulled into Klau's horseshoe driveway. She wanted Stefan to be happy, and despite her differences with Rebekah if that's what it took, she could deal with her. She would already have to considering she was dating Klaus.

"I don't know what I want right now. I'm still not over Elena fully if I'm being honest and I don't know what to do about that yet. Rebekah has been through a lot over the years. She deserves better than being a rebound. So until I figure things out, this will have to stay nothing."

"You are one of the good ones, Stefan. I'm sure that you'll figure things out," she told him, cutting the car engine. "Alright, let's get this over with." She took a deep breath before climbing out of the car along with Stefan and walking into the house.

"Glad to see you've returned in one piece. Oh, and with Stefan in tow. Something tells me Paris is temporarily off the table," Klaus spoke as he wandered down the marble staircase towards them. Caroline bit her lip, a nervous look taking over her face, immediately alerting him to a problem. He looked to Stefan who looked equally guilty, "Alright, out with it. It doesn't look like I'm going to like whatever this is," he requested, his tone reflecting his annoyance, but not anger…yet.

"Well," Caroline began, wringing her hands in front of her, "I have good news and bad news. Bonnie has the location of the next sword. IT's in St. Petersburg, Russia. Which is exciting. I've never been there, but I've seen Anastasia quite a few times, it was my favorite when I was a little girl. I used to watch it over and over until the VHS tape broke. Russia looks beautiful and mysterious and I really can't wait to go. You can show me everything. Oh, we can go to the Hermitage and see your landscape!" she rambled on.

"And the bad news?" he asked, speaking over her.

"I think we should go upstairs first, you know.."

"When Damon saw Caroline here, he told Elena and Bonnie about what you two were doing. Bonnie was so angry about what had happened between you two that she told Damon and Elena about the cure," Stefan told him, interrupting Caroline's diversion tactics.

"So the witch betrayed us," Klaus said, his jaw setting as the glass in his hand shattered between his fingertips.

"I had it covered, Stefan," Caroline said, crossing her arms.

"Did you really think sex was going to make him less angry?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yes," she admitted sheepishly before turning back to the direction Klaus was seething in. "I don't think they are going to tell anyone. I didn't really talk to them about it, but really who would they tell? I don't think they would jeopardize something like this-" She stopped talking, squeezing her eyes shut tightly when she heard the hall table next to Klaus slam against the ground. She bit her lip before looking up at him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come downstairs this morning. None of this would have happened if I didn't come downstairs this morning."

"Caroline, I already told you this isn't your fault," Stefan said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, it's not," Klaus confirmed, stopping his destruction. He gave her a genuine look before turning to Stefan. "Just because he's your brother does not mean I will not hesitate to tear him to pieces if this backfires. The witch too." He growled before leaving them in the main hallway.

Caroline slumped down into one of the chairs, running her fingers through her hair. "I really need that drink now," she mumbled into her hands before looking up at Stefan.

"That feeling is mutual. Let's find the liquor," he said before she began to shake her head.

"Nope, we're going out. There is not enough in this house for me," she said, "And we aren't going to the Grill where my mom can see me. It's a Sunday night. We're going to leave here and we're going to drive until we find another bar outside of Mystic Falls."

"I could use a drink," Klaus spoke as he reentered the room. Caroline looked up to see him, a small smile crossing her lips.

| With or Without You |

"No," Stefan and Klaus both said as Caroline climbed out of the car enthusiastically. She had pulled into the parking lot of the first bar she saw once they got outside of the city limits of Mystic Falls. They were halfway between there and DC and Stefan and Klaus had been complaining about her choice since she pulled in. They had agreed that they would go to the first bar they saw when they got out of Mystic Falls, it wasn't Caroline's fault that that bar happened to be having 80s karaoke night.

"Yes," she nodded, shoving her car keys into her pocket as she straightened out her jacket. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at the two of them. "It's a bar. They have alcohol and it'll be free entertainment. We can watch everyone crash and burn. It's not like we're going to do karaoke."

"I don't need to go into a bar and listen to thirty people butcher _Livin' on a Prayer_ because they are drunk and it's 'their' song," Stefan said, shaking his head as he leaned against the hood of Caroline's car.

She looked to Klaus to see if he held the same opinion as Stefan, "I would rather drink with Rasputin than go in that bar and trust me, he's no peach."

Caroline huffed, "Fine," she said, "I guess you two can stay out here. I'm going to go in there and drink. There's probably a lot of people in there to keep me company." She turned to walk through the gravel parking lot towards the entrance of the bar, an extra sway in her hips as she walked away from them.

"She plays dirty," Stefan said.

"You have no idea," Klaus said back with a smirk as he pushed away from the car and walked towards the door. When they walked in, Caroline was already comfortably sitting in a booth in the corner with a perfect view of the crowded bar. She had clearly compelled the table away from it's previous occupants and gotten their drinks in order. She gave a cocky smirk, bringing her glass to her lips as they walked over to her.

"Glad you decided to join me," she said, trying not to let her excitement about her victory show too much as Klaus and Stefan slid into the booth on either side of her. "Oh cheer up, this is going to be fun," she grinned, picking up another full glass of whiskey from the table and took it like a shot before leaning back into Klaus's arm.

Caroline stuck to her word for a while. She was perfectly content to sit in the corner and drink with Stefan and Klaus. The three of them had nearly demolished half of what was behind the bar, sending the frazzled bartender down to the basement several times for more. She stayed in her seat and made fun of the horrible singers with the two boys without any intention of taking the stage. It wasn't until halfway through her third bottle of whiskey and they announced that they were out of names for karaoke and more people needed to sign up that Caroline was sliding over Klaus's lap to get to the stage to sign up. She got there before anyone else, picking a song and standing on stage with a microphone in hand, a huge grin, and only the occasional tipsy stumble. Caroline had consumed enough alcohol to kill several large men, but on her undead state it was barely enough to start a buzz.

"Can she sing?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced over at Stefan.

"No idea, but I'm not stopping her." Stefan shook his head and leaned back into the booth with his own drink.

Caroline tapped her hand against her leg as the music started, her hips swaying a bit as she brought the microphone to her mouth, "_Josie's on a vacation far away. Come around and talk it over. So many things that I wanna say you know I like my boys a little bit older."_ She smirked giggling at her _ingenious_ line change. "_I just wanna use your love tonight. I don't wanna use your love tonight."_ She giggled as the music picked up a little. Her curls moving around her head as she started the next verse. "_I ain't got many friends left to talk to. No one's around when I'm in trouble. You know I'd do anything for you. Stay the night, we'll keep it under cover."_

The crowd seemed to enjoy Caroline's performance as much as she was enjoying giving it. Klaus was not particularly fond of how all the men in the bar were looking at her, their eyes watching each shift of her hips, but he soon fell into the hypnotic pull of her singing just as everyone else in the bar had.

"_Try to stop my hands from shaking. Something in my mind's not making sense. It's been awhile since we've been all alone. I can't hide the way I'm feeling. I just wanna use your love to-niiiiight. I don't wanna lose your love to-nnniiiiiiiiiggghhhhttt."_ She continued on with the rest of the song before letting her setting the microphone down and smiling at the applause. Admittedly she loved the attention, but she was also having fun and that was exactly what this night was about. Blowing off steam and forgetting about how horrible this entire day had been. She slipped back into the booth next to Klaus and picked up the drink that had been sitting in her spot.

"So what happened to no karaoke, love?" Klaus asked, sliding his arm around the booth behind her.

"I changed my mind," she shrugged.

"Well, you looked like you were having fun up there," Stefan commente.

"I'm glad you think so because I signed you and I up next," Caroline grinned, looking across the table at Stefan. She seriously considered signing Klaus up, but she knew he wouldn't do it, or it would result in half the bar being dead and she didn't feel like being responsible for the carnage.

"No," Stefan said, shaking his head.

"Yes. It'll be fun and I'm asking you to because you need to let loose a little. I'm not taking no for an answer," she told him as the waitress brought them another round, most of which Stefan quickly destroyed knowing he was going to be on stage soon. He probably could have denied her, but he had learned a long time ago that it was usually simpler just to give her what she wanted instead of fighting.

In the three songs that had elapsed since Caroline left the stage, Stefan managed to finish what was left of the bottle of bourbon sitting on the table just in time to hear their names called over the speaker.

"Come on," Caroline grabbed Stefan's arm and pulled him towards the stage with her, ignoring Klaus's smirk knowing that he was not going to be dragged up there.

"What song are we singing?" Stefan asked with a sense of dread in his voice. He could only imagine what Caroline had chosen.

"Oh, you'll see. You don't want anyone else to ruin it." She winked, picking up the microphone. Stefan raised an eyebrow before it was reduced to a smile, shaking his head as he heard Livin' on a Prayer cue up. It took him a few verses to loosen up, he deadpanned through the bridge, but by the time the second chorus rolled around, he was singing right along with Caroline.

"_We've got to hold on to what we've got. 'Cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot for love – well give it a shot. Whooooooaaaahhhh, we're half way there. OHHH- living on a prayer. Take my hand we'll make it – I swear. Ohhhhh living on a prayer." _The crowd cheered when the song was over despite the fact that it was the third time that song had been sung that evening. The two of them stumbled back into the booth,

"You really should sing!" Caroline told Klaus, "It's fun."

"It's not happening, love."

"Please, please, please," she tried to puppy dog eye him, but it didn't work.

"I think it's time we get you home," he said, "It's a Sunday, I believe you have school tomorrow, love. You too, Stefan." He raised an amused eyebrow at Caroline's pout, "You are the one who is so keen on finishing high school. I'm simply doing my part as dutiful lover to ensure that your hopes and dreams come true."

"Fine, fine," she gave in as the three of them slipped out of the booth and out of the bar into Caroline's car. He pressed his hand against her lower back as he ushered her into the backseat, retrieving the keys from her pocket with painfully, slow precision. "How did I end up getting shuffled into the backseat of my own car?" she asked, leaning against the car window.

"You drank half the bar," Stefan pointed out as he slid into the passenger's seat of the tiny sedan.

Caroline let out a 'hmph' sound before focusing on the scenery on the way back to Mystic Falls. She attempted to exit the car once in her driveway, but Klaus intervened, sweeping her up to walk into the house so she didn't wake her mother with her clumsy state. "I can walk you know."

"Not well at the moment, I'm afraid," he pointed out walking into the house and setting her down on the bed. "Goodnight, love." He leaned down to press a kiss to her lips before pulling away.

"Where are you going?" she asked, leaning up on her elbows.

"Home. Your mother does not seem to appreciate our sleepovers under her roof. Given all the liberties she has allowed me with you, I think I'll respect her decision on this one," he told her with a reverent nod.

She returned the gesture, "Goodnight, Klaus." A moment later he was gone and Stefan was standing in the doorway.

"You know I was a little worried about you and him when you first let it slip, but he seems to be playing the part of dutiful boyfriend well," Stefan commented after Klaus was gone. "Still, you sure about him, Care? You ready to lose friends over this?"

She chuckled darkly to herself, nodding her head. "Yes, he's new and exciting, but he's also complicated and interesting. I don't feel like I'm constantly trying to read between the lines with him. Have you ever made a decision and you know that it's either the best one or the worst one of your life? It's kind of like that. Maybe not so extreme, but that's kind of how I feel. Like he's a hurricane and he'll either sweep me up with him and take me away or destroy me and leave me to pick up the wreckage, but I can't wait to find out."

"As long as you're sure, Care." Stefan nodded before walking out of the room just in time to see the smile on Klaus's face as he turned to walk down the staircase and out of the house.


	22. Stutter

**Chapter Twenty-Two – Stutter**

_Give me affection  
I need your perfection  
Cause you feel so good  
You make me stutter, stutter_

"_Take a look at me now, 'cause there's just this empty space. And you coming back to me is against all odds and that's what I've got to face,"_ Caroline sang in the shower of the mansion. Rebekah was gone, off on some kind of trip that Klaus has sent her on before they could go look for the next sword and Klaus was off hunting. She still wasn't sure what exactly that meant and she didn't think she wanted to. Her mother was gone for the weekend, some kind of statewide police training and she had had the audacity to leave Stefan in charge, a move Caroline openly defied by leaving for Mikaelson mansion before her mother walked out the door. And that's exactly where she had been for the last two days. "_I wish I could just make you turn around and see me cry. There's so much I need to say to you, so many reasons why."_

She paused her singing and suds'ing when she heard the sound of a door clicking downstairs followed by the unmistakable sound of boots clicking up the stairs. The door clicked again in the closest sense and Caroline smirked. "You're back early. I wasn't expecting you for a while. Do you want to join me in here?" she asked, rinsing the conditioner out of her blonde locks.

"I would like that, very much, sweetheart," Kol said, pulling back the shower curtain wearing only a smirk as he leaned against the shower wall.

"Kol, what the hell?" Caroline shrieked, wrapping the shower curtain around her slender frame, hiding her slick skin from his lustful gaze. A few moments later Klaus appeared in the doorway and shoved Kol against the wall by his neck.

"I was invited," Kol choked out, still wearing a smirk despite not being able to breath. Klaus looked back at her, the scowl still evident on his face.

"I thought he was you!" she yelled, her grip on the shower curtain tightening as she glared at Kol. "Didn't you think it was a little weird that your brother's girlfriend was inviting you into the shower before you identified yourself," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Stranger things have happened," he quipped before letting out a grunt as Klaus tightened the grip on his neck.

"What the bloody hell is going on up here?" Rebekah asked as she and Elijah wandered through the doorway and took a look at the scene unfolding in front of them.

"Oh no, not again," Elijah mumbled, his hand washing down his face.

"I'm going to stake myself," Caroline whispered, moving further into the shower behind the curtain.

"Well that's certainly an interesting way of wording that," Kol said and Caroline swore she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!" she yelled, waiting until she heard them all leave and the door click closed to walk down to the shower and wrapped her body in a robe before walking into Klaus's bedroom. He was sitting on the bed waiting for him with what Caroline guessed was as close as she was going to get to an apologetic look.

"A little heads up that your siblings were coming back would have been appreciated," Caroline told him, walking over to her bag and pulling a pair of panties and a bra from the depths of the bag. "I mean really. We've been alone together for the past two days and you didn't think 'hey my brothers and sister are coming back tomorrow. Don't invite them into the shower,' because that would have been important information." She pulled her panties on and adjusted her bra into place.

"Well, I didn't think the sheer presence of my brother would inspire you to invite him into the shower with you," Klaus spoke, a bit of a chuckle in his voice as he watched her flutter about the bedroom looking for a pair of jeans.

"For the last time, I thought he was you. If you had told me that there would be other people here, then I wouldn't have assumed it was you when I heard someone walk into the door. I mean he walked into the bathroom, the one attached to your bedroom. Why else why would I assume it wasn't you?"

"Remind me to dagger him for that later," Klaus spoke, the scowl returning to his face.

She held her hands up, "I only promised to keep Rebekah from being daggered. My agreement did not cover Kol. Go for it." She finally smiled and let out a laugh about the odd situation as she pulled the light purple tank top over her head. He grabbed her waist, pulling her closer to where he was sitting on the bed.

"I'll make it up to you," he spoke with a twinkle in his eye as his fingers carefully peeled away at the fabric of her tank top, pulling it half up her body before beginning to press kisses to the newly exposed skin of her stomach. His thumbs rubbed against her hip bones before dipping inside slightly. He took his time, letting Caroline's imagination wander as his lips did the same. It was impossible to think about anything but where they would go next as his tongue dipped into her navel, drawing a moan from her lips before she snapped out of the trance. Her hands fell on his shoulders, gently pushing him away.

"You can make it up to me later, I have to go check and see if the Toy Drive is going okay down at the school since I am on the committee and I've been MIA all morning because of this mess with Kol. Then I need to pack for Russia because I'm guessing we'll be leaving soon?" she asked, her hands remaining on his shoulders as she looked down at him.

"Fine, but I really am not a fan of sharing, love," he said, reluctantly lowering her shirt to it's previous position. "I can have everything ready by tomorrow if you think you can pry yourself away from those charity events."

"Sounds good to me." Caroline smiled before pulling away from him entirely with much protest on his part. She walked over and stepped into a pair of heels, pulling a black blazer over her tank top. "I'll see you later. My mom comes home tonight so I actually have to make an appearance at home. Not that I don't appreciate having a place in bed here, but I think it's probably a little weird for Stefan living alone in my house."

"Always considerate." He shook his head.

"Some consider it a positive," she pointed out, fishing through her purse for her car keys.

"I much prefer you in my bed than out helping save the world."

"Well, fortunately for the less fortunate people of Mystic Falls, you don't always get your way." She leaned down to kiss him, thwarting his attempt to pull her back into bed with him before rushing out the door.

Klaus let out a sigh before standing from the bed and walking down the stairs to begin making the arrangements for their upcoming trip. There wasn't much difficulty there. The pilot was already compelled to do whatever Klaus said, he only had to make a phone call and book the hotel.

"So is this a real thing?" Kol asked, now fully clothes, with his hands clasped behind his back, "Bekah tells me you are actually seeing that entrancing creature. She could do better, brother. She could do me."

"Kol, let me remind you that my offer to rid you of your life has not and will never expire," Klaus said, looking at him out of the corner of his eye as he typed something into his cell phone.

"I have to say, I'm curious as well, Niklaus," Elijah commented, looking up from the drawing of the hunter's mark that Rebekah was showing him.

Klaus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Yes, I am seeing Caroline and Kol, it would be in your best interest to stay away from her for a while. She's still not over this morning's incident. That being said, I think your two should ask Rebekah about her carnal activities with the youngest Salvatore. Far more interesting than anything I've done." The smirk crossed his lips as Rebekah glared at him.

"Well, that's no surprise. Rebekah had trouble veering away from her trollop ways," Kol commented, dropping down onto the leather couch in front of where Rebekah and Elijah were standing. He quickly found himself grabbing the back of his head when Rebekah smacked him. "It's not my fault the truth hurts, Bekah."

"Is this why you brought us here, Niklaus?" Elijah asked, holding up the drawing and trying to steer the conversation away from this particular chain of events. He did not need to hear about his younger sister's sexual escapades. "I was in the middle of something important."

"You were in the middle of hiding away in the French Polynesian Islands with the doppelganger. I don't believe that is of the utmost importance," Rebekah pointed out, the disgust of finding him with Katherine had unfortunately not worn off yet.

"Is Elena safe or should we begin hiding her from you now, Brother? Are you able to help yourself?" Kol asked, this time receiving a smack from Elijah who quickly straightened out his suit and acted as though it had not happened.

"Most unfortunately for us and Elena, he appears to have settled down with her for the time being. How long will this last and I can kill her for breaking my brother's heart yet again," Rebekah asked.

"Someone is catty today. Did Stefan Salvatore not to an adequate job scratching that itch last night, Bekah?" Kol asked.

"Enough!" Elijah shouted over the arguing siblings before the room fell into complete anarchy. "Now," he turned towards Klaus, "Our purpose here?"

"With this quest nearing an end and more and more riff-raff finding out about the possibility of a cure, I'm going to need a bit more back up when the time comes. I thought it would be helpful to keep things under control if I had you two around as well," Klaus explained. "I won't have anything ruining the plans." He looked over at Elijah, "That means keeping Katerina in check, preferably not telling her what's going on. In fact, the longer you keep her in whatever tropical den of sin you two were spending your time in, the better. She's only alive because she is not currently angering me. Don't make me change it," he threatened, pushing away from the wall and heading into his drawing room.

| With or Without You |

"People really need to understand that a charity event is not the place to make out or the place to come hang out at school. It's a place for people to give to charity and give toys to children whose parents can't afford Christmas presents," Caroline huffed angrily as she walked into her home, dropping her bags on the kitchen counter with a thud. "I almost killed someone. Not really, but if I was ever going to be it would be that annoying Tiki Anderson. Although she would probably taste just as rotten as her personality. She's worse than Rebekah, I swear." She turned where she stood to see Stefan on the couch, joined by Liz. "Hi mom," she said sheepishly.

"Always a pleasure to hear my daughter talk about eating people," Liz said, shaking her head.

"Vampire humor?" Caroline offered up hopefully. "I would never hurt someone on purpose, you know that, Mom. It's just been a long day." She shook her head before walking over to the entry way to the living room from the kitchen. "I'm going to go pack. Stefan, you should, too. We're leaving tomorrow."

"Whoa, leaving for what?" Liz asked.

"St. Petersburg. Next spot on the quest," Caroline said, crossing her arms as she looked over at her mother.

"You aren't going anywhere. You have finals this week," Liz said, meeting her daughter's incredulous look. "Vampire or not, I'm still your mother and you are still in high school. I will be damned if you don't graduate with the 4.0 you have been trying for since sixth grade. Immortal or not, you are going to school." Stefan could only sit there and smirk, but Liz was quick to wipe it off his face. "You do too. You live under my roof, you are going to take your finals too."

Caroline huffed, dropping her shoulders as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to send a text message to Klaus. _Not going to Russia. Finals. Stefan too. Have fun with dragging Kol away from all the Vodka without me. I'll be over later so you can finish making it up to me._

When the phone on his desk went off, Klaus put down his pencil and checked it. He gave a small sigh before walking into the opposing room where Rebekah was busily stuffing things in her suitcase. "There's been a change of plans."

"Oh?" she questioned without looking up from her suitcase as she carefully placed another jacket into the Louis Vuitton trunk.

"I will be going to St. Petersburg with Kol and Elijah. I would like you to remain here."

Rebekah set down what she was holding and turned towards him, her arms folding over her chest, "Do you really trust me that little that you would take Kol, of all people, over me? He's going to spend the entire time there devouring all the Russian woman and not helping, you know?"

"On the contrary, Rebekah. I trust you the most, that is why I'm asking you to stay behind," he told her. "Caroline and Stefan are not joining us. With the Hunter on the loose still, I cannot afford to leave Caroline here alone and unprotected. He hasn't shown his face yet, but I'm anticipating it. He wouldn't have let his sword go to vampires so easily if he didn't have some kind of plan. I'm sure it's nothing I can't foil, but I won't be here. I'm not asking you to be her best friend, just keep her alive until I get back."

"Why aren't they coming?" Rebekah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Finals," Klaus said in an overly annoyed tone, shaking his head.

"Fine. I will stay home and babysit your girlfriend, but if you don't return with Yasia Khomenko's entire Spring Line as payment you will come to regret this decision," she warned, beginning to pull things out of her trunk and return them to her closer.

"I believe that can be arranged, little sister," he said before turning to walk out when the door opened downstairs. "And it would be wise not to inform Caroline of why you are staying put," he added before Rebekah waved him off and he moved down the stairs to see Caroline breeze into the entry way.

"I cannot believe I am missing Russia because my mother won't let me compel my teachers to reschedule finals," she huffed and Klaus couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. "What?" Caroline asked, looking over at him, her hand resting on her lip.

"Nothing. It's just that sometimes I forget I'm surrounded by teenagers," he smirked.

"You didn't seem to care about how old I was last night," she pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "And it's not just me. She shut Stefan right down too. She even used to under my roof rule. I've never seen Stefan shut up so quickly." She let the smile break over her lips. "I'm sure you could use some time with your family anyway, but that starts tomorrow. Tonight, you are mine," she said possessively.

He crooked an eyebrow suggestively at her words, drawing her up the stairs with him. With mock ignorance he began, "And what exactly does being yours entail?"

Caroline gave a devilish smile before her lips crashed against Klaus's and her lips moving in perfect harmony with his. He pulled her closer, pressing her flush against him before backing her up against the wall. His tongue slid across her bottom lip, begging for entrance, before sliding into her mouth, their tongues clashed in battle.

They blindly made their way down the hall, Klaus's lips beginning to travel down the column of her neck as he reached for his bedroom door, parting only for a moment as he pulled her inside. His own smirk took over his lips as he cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing delicately over her bottom lip before pulling her back into another kiss, more intimate than the first.

Klaus sucked and nipped at her bottle lip as Caroline rolled his jacket over his shoulders, mimicking the action with her own. She let out a soft groan as his hands ran down her curves before coming to rest on her hips, her own fingers tangled within in Klaus's curls, her nails scraping lightly against his scalp and causing a shiver to run down his spine. Each action turned him on more, and when his lips ghosted over her collarbone, enticing a moan from her swollen lips, Klaus knew that she was feeling the same.

Caroline guided him backward through the bedroom, pushing him backwards toward the bed before tumbling on top of him. Her thighs straddled his and her gaze never wavered from his. He could only smirk as he saw the same lust that he felt reflected in her eyes as he sat up a bit and brought her into another heated kiss. His eyes nearly rolled back into his head as he felt her grind against the stiffness pressed against his jeans, the friction between them causing a low growl to come out from the back of his throat. She smirked against his lips and repeated the action, peeling his shirt over his head and towing it to the ground. His hands traveled down her sides once again, pulling her dress up and tossing it to the floor with his shirt, taking in the delicious sight in front of him. Another groan left his lips as he took in the black lace bra and panties she had on, wanting nothing more than to indulge in the feast she was presenting him with, but Caroline had other plans.

Her palms traveled over his chest, pushing him back against the bed before he could bring his lips to her full breasts. She wagged a finger at him, beginning a slow trail of kisses down his chest, unzipping his jeans and pulling them down along with his boxers. She threw them into the heap of clothes on the floor they were accumulating, proud of how impossibly stiff he was as she wrapped her hand around him, her thumb brushing over the tip.

With her mind distracted, Klaus took the opportunity to take control, and flipped her onto her back, thrusting his hips against her lace-covered core. The friction alone sent shock waves of pleasure through her whole body and she let out a breathy whimper in response. "Klaus," she moaned against his lips as his palms found her breasts, his hips meeting hers once more, enjoying teasing her. He unclasped her bra and allowed his fingertips to wander leisurely down her body before finding their way under edge of her panties and brushing his thumb against the sensitive bundle of nerves. Her back arched into his touch, hips bucking wildly before his freehand pressed them into the bed.

"I'm supposed to be making it up to you, love," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear before making his way down to her breast. His lips enveloped one of the tight peaks as he delved a finger inside of her, testing how ready she was for him.

"Please, Klaus. I need more," Caroline purred as his hand worked against her. He obliged sliding another finger into the tight channel and bringing her to her first orgasm with a few thrusts of his fingers accompanied by the quick circles of his thumb against her clit.

As her body relaxed against his hand, he pushed her underwear completely down, guiding himself to her entrance. His eyes snapped shut as he felt her tightness around him, the wet heat drawing him deeper. "_Caroline,_" he growled against her neck as he nipped at her sensitive skin with his blunt teeth. His hips rocked into her, changing his pattern to keep her from predicting his next move. His angle changed as he pulled her leg around his waist, moving deeper each time he moved back, nearly pulling out before thrusting back in.

Her hips rose against his, a silent request for more as hers lips found his once again, needing to be more connected with him. She could feel herself beginning to unravel, her stomach beginning to coil as his lips brushed against her jaw. Her breath quickening as his hands glided down her sides, cupping her ass and grinding her hips into his.

"Come for me, Caroline," he breathed against her jaw as his hand slipped between them, brushing against her clit until he felt her walls tighten around him.

"Klaus," his name fell from her lips like a prayer as her back arched off the bed. It was still one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard and the moment his name flooded his ears, dripping with passion and lust, he lost his control. Thrusting into her once more, he groaned as her body took all he had to give.

"I think I might just miss you while you are gone," Caroline breathed curling into him once her breath evened and her body slowed its quakes.

"It's only a few days, love," he spoke against her mess of blond curls as her head found its way to his chest as it always did. "Just rest up. I have plans for you yet."


	23. Transatlanticism

**Chapter Twenty-Three – Transatlanticism **

_I need you so much closer…_

"This was a mistake," Klaus commented, shuffling his feet across the stone streets as he walked in-step with Elijah. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked around. This was not at all what he had pictured for his trip to St. Petersburg. He was going to find the sword. He was going to take Caroline to the Hermitage after it closed for the evening so they could enjoy it alone. He was going to show her the Winter Palace and even suffer through the Russian Ballet if she wanted to go, but nowhere on his list of things to do was chase Kol all over the city.

"You are the one who insisted he come with us. He wanted to stay in Mystic Falls," Elijah pointed out, fiddling with a button in his black, wool coat before pulling out his cell phone and sending what would be another unanswered text to Kol.

"It was either bring him with us or leave him alone with Caroline, while I don't think this was a good choice, it was better than the alternative. I could have daggered him and left him in a box while we were gone, but somehow, I didn't think you and Rebekah would agree to that," he tilted head, looking back at Elijah before they continued down the road. St. Petersburg was nothing new. He had wanted to spend some time with his brothers and get the sword before going home, but Kol was not allowing for that to happen. "So where do you think he is?"

"Well, this city is filled with alleys and bars and he could be in any one of them," Elijah said, shaking his head. "It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't making a spectacle of himself. Those last two bodies weren't even hidden. It's like he's trying to send up red flags to our presence. He'll find us when he wants to be found. I am in need of a drink, brother." He clasped his brother's shoulder, steering him into a small bar and taking a seat in one of the tables. "How difficult do you foresee this sword being to track down?"

"Easier than finding a decent scotch in this Vodka bar," he said grimly as he looked across the bar at the limited selection before pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and sending Caroline a text message to answer her latest text. The conversation had begun innocently enough with Caroline asking how the search was going, but it had taken a turn to what was, or in this case, was _not_ wearing underneath her blue jeans. He could only smirk in response to the message on his screen.

"You are turning into a lovesick teenager," Elijah scoffed, shaking his head, but Klaus ignored him.

"So we're back to Katerina?" he changed the subject, glancing over at his older brother, "How long has that been going on?"

Elijah paused, waving over the bartender and asking for a bottle of Dalmore and two glasses. He took his time pouring them out before turning towards Klaus. "Five hundred and twenty years." He raised an eyebrow, bringing the glass up and taking a drink of the expensive scotch.

"I sincerely hope you didn't spend the last five hundred years pining for her. Sounds like quite the dull existence," Klaus spoke, doing the same with his own drink. "Please tell me that she's staying in whatever den of sin you are keeping her in for the duration of this mission. I can't be bothered with another doppelganger at the moment. I'm already having enough issues with the current one."

"Katerina has no interest in returning to Mystic Falls. That is why she remained behind when Rebekah beckoned Kol and I back to that dreadful little town. Your plans will not be thwarted by her. I think its Kol's body count that poses the greatest risk at the moment. It's only a matter of time before one of those bodies is found."

"Are you sure it's not because she wanted some time alone with the pool boy, brother? I seem to remember that one enjoying the sights," he asked with a sideways smirk as he finished what was in his glass. "I'm glad she's staying put. I already have too many adolescent vampires to deal with without adding her to the mix-"

"And yet one of them was in your shower yesterday morning. I believe Caroline was turned only last year, by definition making her infantile."

"Oh but nothing about Caroline is by the book." He picked up the bottle and drank directly from it, unbothered by the formality of the glass. "And we will be long gone before Kol's body count becomes an issue. I would rather him here taking out an entire town in Russia than in Mystic Falls, trying to get into Caroline's bed."

"I don't think I've ever seen you quite this possessive, Brother."

"I've never been known for my sharing skills."

"That's a bit of an understatement."

"Is it such a crime to want something without interference?" Klaus asked, finally tearing himself away from the bottle of alcohol to look over at his brother.

"I believe your past just answered that question for you."

| With or Without you |

"This game is juvenile," Rebekah complained, something Caroline had become so accustom to hearing, she was learning how to tune it out. She had no interest in Rebekah's opinion on Rock Band, she only cared that she was beating Stefan and Rebekah was talking so much she couldn't get a word in to gloat about it. "I was in a box for nearly a hundred years and this is what the world had time to develop while I was gone? It's pathetic."

"We also invented the ballpoint pen, synthesized LSD, rubber, the atomic bomb, computers, cell phones, pacemakers, a polio vaccine, and went to the moon," Stefan pointed out, his hands barely keeping up with the rhythm of the Coheed and Cambria song that Caroline had picked. Her fingers strummed in perfect sync with the screen to the song he was certain she had memorized. He was older, his reflexes were better than hers, this shouldn't be happening.

"If you are so horribly bored, Rebekah, why didn't you tag along with your brothers to Russia. I know that is certainly where I would be if it wasn't finals week," Caroline said, her hand pressing down on the whammy bar to get her extra points during the solo.

"Someone had to stay here and keep you the lot of you in line," Rebekah said without revealing anything. She folded her arms, leaning back in the couch, trying to suppress some of her frustration over being left. "Considering you two stayed back for finals, you certainly aren't doing a whole lot of studying, are you?"

"Study break. Everyone is entitled to a little mindless video game action in between cramming for History and Chemistry. Except Stefan, of course, this isn't mindless for him. Look how hard you are working," she teased, bumping her hip against his as she observed the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He gave her a sideways look, the bump to his hip knocking off what little rhythm he had managed to form. "That's cheating, Forbes."

"You say that like you had any chance of winning to begin with," Caroline shook her head, holding down her solo before holding her hands up in victory when the song ended. "And on that note, I think I will head up to bed. I do actually have a lot studying to do before the History final tomorrow. I know that the attack on Pearl Harbor happened on December 7th and that Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck were robbed at the Oscars. Outside of that, I might need some brushing up." She set the guitar back in the holder before turning back towards Stefan. "And you might want to brush up on your hand eye coordination. You are lacking a little there, Salvatore," she teased him one last time.

"Just because you are inhumanely good at video games, does not mean you are superior," Stefan pointed out. "I think I'm going to head to bed too."

Caroline nodded, "Night Stef, Rebekah." She headed up the stairs towards her own room, hearing Stefan and Rebekah not too far behind her on the stairs. It was still strange for Caroline to have Rebekah around all of the time, but she was starting to come to terms with it. Between Stefan and Klaus, she didn't think she was going to have much of a choice to be around her. She had found that it wasn't all that bad to be around her to be honest.

Taking a seat at her desk, Caroline reluctantly cracked open her history book. Unfortunately, the real events behind Pearl Harbor were not nearly as interesting as Ben and Josh's version of them. It was hard to pay attention long enough to get into what she was reading. Fortunately, the dinging of a skype notification saved her from actually having to learn anything. The text messages had been distracting enough, this was going to be worse.

"Isn't it like four am there?" Caroline asked, answering the video call. She cocked her head to the side as the video appeared on the screen.

"Seven thirty am, actually. We just got in," Klaus told her, sitting down on the bed and pulling off his boots before leaning against the headboard and pulling the laptop onto his chest.

"Is this you calling to check in? I can't say I was expecting that," she smirked, picking up her book and the laptop and walking over to the bed.

"No, this is me calling to collect on all of those text messages you've been sending me."

"Unfortunately, Pearl Harbor is taking priority at the moment." She held up her history book, giving him an apologetic look.

"Well that is unfortunate. I had plans for you." The smirk on his face was devastating, she could only bite her lip in response, beginning to wonder exactly what those plans entailed, her mind wandering off in every direction. A tempered breath fell from her lips as she darted her tongue out to wet them. "Are you alright, Caroline?" he asked, bringing her back to reality.

The amused look on his face let her know she was probably doing something embarrassing. "I have to study," she blurted out, trying to regain her composure, something that only made his smirk grow.

"I could always help you study, love. I was around for that particular event. I know a thing or two." He gave her a cocky look, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm quite certain I could provide a better return on your correct answers than any grade."

She raised an eyebrow before it dawned on her exactly what he meant. Smirking, she nodded her head, settling the laptop on her lap.

"What year was the attack?"

"1941 and you are going to have to be a little more thorough than that. This is twelfth grade history. I knew that in seventh," she said, shaking her head.

"What was the reason for the attack then?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She thought about it for a moment, "The Empire of Japan was trying to prevent the U.S. Pacific Fleet from entering into the war and attacking them. They decided to strike first after rumors swirled about the US getting involved, which we had not been up until that point."

"Very good. Sweater, off," he instructed.

"Aren't I the one supposed to be rewarded?" she asked, beginning to unbutton the cardigan she was wearing and peel it off her shoulders.

"Tutor's collect their fees up front," he said, "Now, when did the U.S. formally declare war on the nation of Japan?"

"President Roosevelt declared war the following day in his Infamy speech," Caroline raddled off.

"Wonderful. Tank top," he nodded his head towards the camera.

"I really don't see how this is incentive for me. I'm just stripping for you on camera right now." She pulled the tank top over her head and let it join the sweater on the ground.

"Good things come to those who wait," he told her. "Now what was the famous rally cry that the U.S. soldiers cried during the subsequent attacks?"

"I don't know."

"It's really not that difficult, love. If you can't get the easy questions, you are going to need compulsion to get that diploma," he taunted, it was always the best way to get her to do anything.

"Remember December? No. Remember Pearl Harbor?"

"Bra," he answered with a devilish smile.

"Shirt," she countered, nodding towards her own webcam.

"Fine," he pulled his shirt over his head and let it fall onto the bed next to him, "Now bra," he ordered.

"Someone is demanding tonight," she commented as her hands moved to the front clasp.

"Someone has been telling me how much they want me on top of them and how they opted out of wearing knickers for the better part of the evening, so you will have to forgive my impatience."

She smirked in response, "Alright, you have a bit of a point there." Her fingers moved against the clasp before pausing when she heard a small noise coming from downstairs, "What was that?" she asked, freezing to see if she could hear the noise once again. The house was old and had a tendency to creak, but this was unlike the noises she was used to.

"What was what?" he asked her, sitting up a bit more.

"I thought I heard someone downstairs."

"It's probably just Stefan or your mother."

"They are both sleeping," she shook her head. "I'm just going to go check it out. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll call you back."

"No, stay put. I'll call one of the hybrids over to do it."

"No," she scoffed, "I'm a vampire and it's downstairs. I don't need all of your creepy hybrid slaves in my house to check out what is probably at worst a burglar. I can take care of it. I'll call you right back." She closed the laptop before he could protest, pulling her tank top over her head before heading down the stairs and into the living room. She peaked around the corner and saw no one. She was probably right, it was nothing. Barely turning the corner into the kitchen, the pantry door opened and an arm shot out to pull her inside, the hand tightening over her mouth. She fought against it for a moment before Rebekah made herself known, pressing a finger to her lips and mouthing something to Caroline.

**Author's Note: Alright, unlike TVD, I PROMISE Caroline is not going to be kidnapped again. So taking that out of the equation, I would love to hear your guesses about what's going on. Let me know what you think. Your reviews are what keep me writing so please keep them coming!**


	24. Comes and Goes (In Waves)

**Author's Note: I normally don't begin things with an author's note, but this chapter is pretty heavy and I feel the need to put a warning out there. I don't want to spoil you before you read, but I don't want you to be taken by surprise. So this is your official Kleenex warning. **

**Chapter Twenty-Four – Comes and Goes **

_This one's for the lonely, the one's that seek and find  
Only to be let down time after time  
This one's for the torn down, the experts at the fall  
Come on friends get up now you're not alone at all  
And this part was for her, does she remember?_

If there was one thing in the world that Klaus hated more than anything in the world, it was waiting. Even after a thousand years walking on this earth, patience had never been a virtue that he picked up. He hadn't really picked up any virtues. He knew it was probably nothing. Stefan or Rebekah or Liz dropping something downstairs; it was only ten pm in the states. Something in his gut told him otherwise though and if there was one thing he had learned it was to listen to his gut.

His numerous attempts to call Caroline had all gone to voice mail so he switched to Stefan and Rebekah who also refused to pick up. Finally the phone rang again, "Caroline?" he asked hopefully, having answered the phone before he looked at the screen.

"It's Stefan actually. You know someone once told me that one voicemail was just as good as nine or in your case, six," the younger vampire told him, pressing the phone to his ear as he climbed behind the wheel of his car.

"Are you at Caroline's?" Klaus asked, ignoring everything he had said. He didn't have time for petty comments. Not until he knew if everything was alright back at home.

"No. I left a while ago. Picking up some things from the boarding house. Why?" he asked.

"I was on a call with Caroline. She hung up and went to check a noise and I haven't heard from her since."

"How long ago?" Stefan asked, starting the car and shifting it into drive.

"Less than an hour."

"I'm sure it's nothing, but I'll head back now and check it out."

Klaus looked up from where he was pacing when the door clicked open and Kol walked in, holding something. "Good. I've got to go. Call me back when you get there," he said quickly before hanging up the phone. "It's just one mess after another today, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you are referring to, but I was under the impression that this was the reason we are here in Russia right now." Kol defended, dropping the leather cloth on the bed with a clunk. As it landed the leather flopped open and revealed the next sword. "Isn't this sword what you are after?"

"Where did you get this, Kol?" Klaus asked, moving to pick it up and make sure that it was not only the correct sword, but that Kol had not damaged it in any way in his efforts to retrieve it. It appeared to be fine. Relief hit him first. Having this sword meant that he only had one sword left to retrieve before he could find the cure. It also meant that he could return to Mystic Falls, but the relief was short lived when Kol answered the question. "When did you have time to get this? Last I checked you were busy leaving a string of bodies across St. Petersburg for Elijah and I to clean up. The entire point of bringing you and Elijah with me was to make my life simpler. You are proving to be nothing but a complication. Now where did you get this from? I wasn't able to locate it, so how did you find it first?"

"That's not important."

His refusal to diverge information was a red flag, bringing Klaus's attention back to his reckless younger brother, advancing towards him. "Where. Did. You. Get. This?" he repeated more slowly.

Kol opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off as the door that divided the rooms in their suite flew open.

"Niklaus, have you seen the news yet?" Elijah asked, bursting into the room and turning the television in Klaus's room on and putting it on one of the news channels. The woman on the news was speaking in frantic Russian about a robbery that took place earlier that evening, before switching to the footage. It was grainy and hard to make out, but it was a museum. A few moments later a dark haired man came into view, breaking the glass and stealing a sword before walking out of the museum, ignoring all of the alarms and guards that tried to stop him. His face was never shown, but it was clearly Kol. The woman once again resumed talking, revealing that none of the security guards could remember what had happened or what the man looked like and the authorities suspected some kind of neurotoxin was at fault for the men's lapse in recall.

Both Elijah and Klaus's gazes fell upon their younger brother who was standing there with a look that perfectly mixed amusement and mock innocence. "I only did what I was told," he commented before Klaus lunged forward, only to be stopped by Elijah. He fought against him for a moment before the oldest Mikaelson began to speak.

"You can murder him later. Put him in a box for a few decades if you must, but right now, we need to leave St. Petersburg. If you want this to remain a secret, we need to get as far away from this city as possible before this story breaks internationally and every vampire, hunter, and human who knows about The Five descends on this city," Elijah told him, his voice filled with uncharacteristic anger, holding Klaus in place until he stopped fighting him.

"Fine. Get your things. I will call the pilot. We will be out of here within the hour," Klaus snapped, his tone venomous as he picked up the sword and placed it into his own suitcase before closing it.

Kol began to walk out of the room before finding himself once again pinned against a wall by his throat, "You know, Nik, you do this so often, it's beginning to lose all meaning. It's just become your greeting. Some people chose to hug." His words only seemed to make his brother's grip tighten.

"You have created a national incident, Kol. You may have jeopardized everything I have been working on for months tonight. Everything I've been working towards for the last thousand years of my existence. If you so much as breath on the way home. I will throw you from the plane and while it won't kill you. It should be an interesting experience piecing yourself back together and finding your way out of the sea," he snarled. "Now, get your things." He released him before walking out of the room with his suitcase in hand. He called the airport and set up the flight before returning to his repeated phone calls to Caroline.

| With or Without You |

"_Hunters."_

"What's going on?" Caroline asked, her words barely audible to even Rebekah who was standing right next to her huddled in the small pantry.

"The man from New York is in the house. He must have tracked us down or found your address in the hotel room. I saw him for a moment, but he didn't see me. I ducked in here until I could get upstairs," Rebekah whispered back at the same volume.

"What about Stefan and my mom?" Caroline asked, moving to leave the pantry, but Rebekah quickly held her in place.

"Stefan isn't here and your mother is human. Hunter's live by a code. He won't hurt her."

"I thought Stefan went to bed?"

"We did, then he went pick up more clothes from boarding house."

"We?" Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"We can discuss my love life later. Now for the love of God, be quiet, I can hear him coming down the stairs," Rebekah said, leaving the door open a fraction of a centimeter so she could see what was going on, but no one would be able to detect them. Her grip didn't waver from Caroline's arm. She knew better. If there was any sign of her mother or Stefan out there, she would bolt and get herself killed or kill the hunter and either option would land her in a box and in hot water with Stefan.

The two blondes watched out the small sliver as Vaughn, the hunter who had attacked Caroline in New York, crept into the living room towards the kitchen. They both held their breath as he stalked around, stake in one hand, a knife in the other. Caroline was certain she had never been so still in her life, scared that even the slightest shift in her weight would make the old floorboards creak and alert the man to their presence. The girls shared a glance as he advanced towards their hiding place. They could incapacitate him without killing him if they were careful and they had to. Neither were exactly excited about the possibility of it. There were so many ways it could go wrong, but they couldn't think about that right now.

All that stood between him and them was a flimsy wooden door that Rebekah could not hold shut without alerting him to their presence. She began mentally formulating a plan when she heard a gun cock. "Freeze." Caroline jerked against Rebekah's grip when she heard her mother's voice, but the original managed to pull her back silently. One arm wrapped around her arms and middle under a crushing hold as the other pressed against Caroline's mouth, keeping her from doing anything stupid. She struggled for another moment before relaxing against the hold, but Rebekah didn't let go.

Rebekah and Caroline watched as Liz approached her gun pointed in Vaughn's direction as she slowly walked towards him, still dressed in a pair of pajamas. "You really picked the wrong house to try and rob. You are under arrest," she told him before seeing the stake in his hand, her teeth gritting at the thought that he was there to hurt her child.

"Look, I think there's been a misunderstanding here," he said, turning around to face her. It was like a switch flipped in his brain. He went from the look of a ruthless killer to one of a college jock and Caroline prayed her mother wouldn't fall for it because Rebekah's death grip was certainly not making any room for her to go help.

"The only misunderstanding here is that you are standing in my kitchen with deadly weapons. Now put your hands up, you are under arrest for attempted robbery and attempted assault with a deadly weapon. Do not make me repeat myself," Liz said, her face hardening as she advanced towards him. The man reluctantly turned and put his hands on the wall as Liz pulled the handcuffs from the pocket of her robe. Caroline finally let out the breath she had been holding.

But it was short-lived. "Everything okay, Sheriff Forbes?" Stefan asked as he walked through the door. Vaughn fought against her grip as she tried to put the handcuffs on him when he heard Stefan's voice. He turned his head to look at him confirming his suspicions.

"Stefan, leave," Liz said, holding onto Vaughn as tightly as she could, hoping that Caroline was no longer in the house or safely hidden. She gained control over the situation, pointing the gun at him as Stefan hesitated for a moment. "Stefan go! Go find Caroline, make sure she's safe, I've got this," she ordered and he obeyed with a nod before turning to run out the door. Caroline wanted to say something, but she knew both Stefan and her mother were safer if Vaughn didn't think there with any vampires in the house.

"I'm sorry to have to do this but.." Vaughn turned with ease in Liz's grip, thrusting the stake in his hand upward into her body and letting her drop to the ground. Caroline jerked against Rebekah's grip again, but the older vampire still didn't let her go. Rebekah could feel the tears rolling down Caroline's cheeks and onto the hand she still had clasped over her mouth. She hated that she had to do it, but Caroline running out would be suicide and she couldn't let her brother lose Caroline.

Vaughn stood over her surveying the damage before emotionlessly pulling his stake from her body and wiping it on his pants before heading out the door after Stefan. The second he was gone, Rebekah let go of Caroline who flew forward out of the pantry and dropped to her knees next to Liz's body. The blood was no longer pooling at her wound, but Caroline paid no attention to the signs.

"Mom! Mom!" she yelled frantically, her fangs ripping through the skin of her wrist as she cradled her mother's head in her lap, crying to coax her into drinking.

"Caroline, I.." Rebekah began in a calm tone.

"No," Caroline said, shaking her head furiously as she let a few sobs escape her lips before growing determined once again, "No, no, no!" she plead, pressing her wrist against her mouth. "Drink! Mom, drink.." she cried, what started as a yell turned into a whisper as the tears fogged her vision. "Mom.." she whimpered, pleading that the truth was a lie, that the blood had gotten into her system somehow and she would come back. "Please," she breathed and if Rebekah had not been a vampire she would not have heard her.

"Caroline, I think that she's.." Rebekah tried once more.

"She's not dead!" She screamed, pulling her mother's broken and bloodied body against her own as she lost what little control over her emotions she had. The stake had been driven directly through Liz's chest and the amount of blood that coated her body, Caroline, and the surrounding floor answered any question about her mortality. "Mom, please, I need you," she whimpered into her hair as she rocked.

Stefan walked back into the house, stopping in the kitchen doorway. He looked to Rebekah for answers, but she simply frowned and shook her head. His eyes then fell on Caroline, kneeling in a puddle of blood, her body racked with silent sobs as she held the sheriff's body. Rebekah and Stefan shared a knowing glance before moving in to help Caroline.

Rebekah carefully peeled Caroline hands from her mother and gently rested Liz's body on the ground, making her way upstairs to get a sheet before coming back down to cover her up so Caroline didn't have to see it any longer. Once Caroline was no longer holding Liz, Stefan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Her small hands gripped his tee shirt, a rush of air filling her lungs and the sobs began again, her face buried against Stefan's neck. The look on his face was helplessness mixed with guilt. If he had stayed this wouldn't have happened.

| With or Without You |

"We just need to go over the events of the evening one more time, Caroline. I know this is a really difficult time for you. We'll be done after this. We all know what you are going through," one of the deputies, now the town sheriff, asked her. Caroline had known the man since she was a child, one of the reasons he had been chosen to speak with her, but it didn't make her feel any better. She didn't think anything would. The house was bursting with people. The police, the coroner, the paramedics. Stefan had called Damon to help with the police and any necessary compulsion. He had come with Elena and Bonnie in tow, both of whom were awkwardly standing behind the police barricade along with a large number of Caroline's neighbors.

"Did you really just compare you losing your boss to her mother dying? Rebekah's voice dripped with disgust as she spoke. She had been glued to Caroline's side all evening, even when the police asked to speak to her alone. Stefan had not been much better, he stayed close, standing a few feet away with Damon and the county coroner. It was one of the few times Caroline had ever wished not to be a vampire and able to hear every word they said about her mother's death.

"I'm just going my job, Ms. Mikaelson. We were all very close to Sheriff Forbes. This is a loss felt city wide. We know this is difficult, but sometimes victims remember more as time passes. We need to go over it one more time, then we'll be done," he assured, his eyes moving to Caroline.

"Shouldn't you be out looking for the lunatic with weapons who did this instead of harassing-"

"It's fine, Rebekah," Caroline spoke with a cracked and raw voice, the result of many tears. "There was a noise downstairs so I went to check it out. There was a man in the house. Dark blonde hair. Tall. Six feet maybe? He had some stubble but nothing notable and dark, dark blue eyes. He was skinnier, but very strong. When I got downstairs my mom already had the gun on him, getting ready to arrest him. She told me to call the police and when he realized I was there he freaked out. Before I could do anything he spun around and-" She paused, unable to say the words. The tears began to roll from the edge of her eyes once again, falling down her cheeks.

"That's enough, Caroline. We've got it all," the man said, setting a hand on her shoulder to stop her from going into the details again. She had already been through enough pain tonight. "We just need your clothing in case there is any kind of evidence on it since you touched your mother's body. If you want to go upstairs and shower and change, we should be finishing up down here. We're going to leave two police guards outside, but you might not want to be alone tonight or if you want to stay somewhere else."

Caroline nodded before turning to head up the stairs with Rebekah right behind her. She walked into Caroline's bedroom and pulled a few things out of each drawer, making a pile for her on the bathroom counter. It wasn't exactly in Rebekah's nature to take care of someone. She had spent most of her formative years caring for Henrik, but that was many lifetimes ago. She was not a timid little girl anymore, but there was something so completely helpless about Caroline's current state that Rebekah couldn't resist. She knew all too well what it was like to lose her mother. She had done it too many times now, but the first had been the most painful and she had been about Caroline's age at the time. She knew no matter how prepared or well-versed in death one could be, losing a parent was a different experience altogether.

There wasn't a day that passed that Rebekah didn't miss her mother. Not the one who had stormed out of her coffin and into the mansion with a smile on her face and a stake behind her back, but the one who died a thousand years ago. She missed the mother that was so broken up about the mere idea of losing more of her children, she made it impossible. The mother who brushed her hair and told her stories of days gone by. The one who took care of her when she needed to be coddled and the one that loved her as fiercely as sun burned. Rebekah's reckless and blind ability to love came from her mother. She had once expected the best from everyone before the world scorned and burned her time and time again.

Once Caroline was in the shower, Rebekah took the blood-soaked jeans and tank top downstairs to the police. She stood on the sideline and watched the scene unfolding in front of her. Normally she was one to hide a body in an alley or the woods, dealing with the police was not something she was accustom to. When her eyes met Stefan's he walked over to join her, leaving Damon to deal with the coroner and Elena and Bonnie alone.

"How is she doing?" he asked, remaining stoic. He had not been as close to Liz as Caroline, but the woman had allowed him to live there and treated him like her own child for the last month, even if he didn't always like it.

"Barely responsive," Rebekah said, folding her arms over her chest as she leaned into the nearby wall. "She's in the shower right now. She hasn't said two words that weren't prompted and coaxed out of her. Hopefully this situation will be taken care of by the time she comes downstairs. I don't think she needs to see any of this." She motioned around the room.

"She didn't need this. She just lost her dad a few months ago."

"Everyone needs their parents," Rebekah sighed, shaking her head. "What are we going to do about the hunter? He's still out there somewhere. He knows where Caroline lives, it's safe to assume he probably knows about the mansion and the boarding house as well. Once he loses your trail he'll be back and Caroline is in no condition to defend herself right now."

"Well, no one was suggesting we leave her," Stefan shook his head. "I don't think he will come back here right away. He knows we're expecting him. The police are leaving two officers here to protect Caroline and there is far too much human activity around this house right now. Assuming that he hasn't decided to completely disregard human life, he wouldn't. If he has, there's no way even the most experienced hunter could take out everyone. Either way we have some time to play with. Enough for her to sleep and feed. She looks like she could use both."

"Are we staying here or going back to the mansion?" Rebekah asked, looking up at Stefan.

"We'll leave it up to her. We can probably protect her better here. The house is smaller, less ground to cover. She'll probably want to be close to her home where she's comfortable. At least until Klaus comes back from Russia. Have you spoken to him yet?" Stefan asked, raising an eyebrow as he took a similar stance to Rebekah.

"No, I should probably go call him." She nodded before pushing away from the wall and walking down the stairs to the basement for some privacy within the house. She pulled out her phone, pressing a few buttons before pressing it to her ear. She waited for what seemed like an eternity as the phone rang. Part of her didn't want him to pick up, but she knew this was not a message to be left on his voicemail. She would have preferred to tell him in person, but that option was not exactly viable at the moment.

Pacing the length of the basement, she nearly jumped when he answered, "Rebekah, what is going on there? I spoke to Stefan nearly an hour ago and he still has not told me anything. I need information."

"Nik, you need to come home."

"I'm working on it. I take it the news of the robbery has made it back to the states. The plane is already fueled and on the runway waiting. Leave it to Kol to create a national scandal in less than 12 hours."

"Robbery? What are you talking about, Nik? I'm calling about Caroline," Rebekah said, trying to keep her tone even.

"What?" Klaus asked, his voice filling with urgency. "What happened to Caroline?"

"The hunter from New York showed up here at her home. He must have traced us here somehow. He was waiting for us in the house for who knows how long. Waiting until we all went to bed. Stefan was gone and I just-"

"What happened to Caroline, Rebekah? Is she okay? Is she.." he demanded answers, unable to finish the thought and entertain the idea that she might be gone. Rebekah could heard the desperation in his voice.

"She came downstairs to investigate the noises he made and I pulled her into the pantry with me while we waited for the hunter to leave before he could even see her. I thought I had it all under control. Caroline was safe and Stefan was gone. Then Sheriff Forbes came downstairs." She paused, drawing a deep breath against Klaus's silence. "He killed her. Then he left. Stefan led him on a chase outside of town before coming back. The police are getting everything taken care of right now. Lots of reports and collecting. Caroline is in the shower and Stefan is dealing with the police. You need to come home, Nik. The sword can wait."

"We are headed to the airport now. Kol stole the sword, it's on every news channel in the blasted country at the moment. I'm sending the hybrids over to watch the house and protect until I'm home." Just keep her…" he paused searching for the right word, but not finding it there. "Alive until I get there. I'll be home in a matter of hours.

"Good. She needs you." Rebekah hung up the phone and walked back up the stairs. Caroline was seated on the couch curled into Stefan as the coroner wheeled the body out of the room and the last of the police left aside from the two stationed outside. Damon, Elena, and Bonnie were still standing in the room, awkwardly trying to figure out their place.

"You guys don't have to stay," Caroline said, peeling herself away from Stefan's chest long enough to look over at them. She didn't particularly want them there. She wasn't on speaking terms with either of them yet. The tragedy shouldn't change that.

"We were going to stay, slumber party like we used to," Elena said hesitantly.

"Yeah, you really shouldn't be alone, Care," Bonnie added.

"She's not," Rebekah said, making her presence in the room known. "Now if you three would kindly get out, it would probably be easier than my brother forcible removing you when he gets here. I, however, would take great pleasure in doing so," she said with a smirk. She had never made her distaste for the latest doppelganger a secret. Bonnie was the first one out the door, followed begrudgingly by Damon.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be at the grill," he announced before walking out the door. Elena shot the three of them the dirtiest look before following Damon out the door.

"I think I'm going to lay down," Caroline spoke quietly, standing from the couch. She headed up the stairs and took a right, walking past her own room and into her mother's room. She was trying to hold it together, but she wasn't sure what that meant. Most of the time Caroline was trying to be strong, trying to prove to the world that she wasn't that fragile little girl they tried to make her out to be, but she wasn't sure she knew how to be strong anymore. So she went where she felt safe. Like she used to when she was a little girl, she crawled into her mother's bed and pulled her pillow to her chest.

**Author's Note: **

**I had planned to do this before the spoilers for 4x09 came out (and I honestly think the death will be Carol Lockwood, not Liz Forbes) but this chapter is definitely where things derail from canon a bit. **

**I will level with you all, I cried so much writing this chapter. It might be the single worst thing I have ever done in my fanfiction writing career. I'm sorry! Now that we are all crying together, what did you think? Are you going to kill me in my sleep? **


	25. Time to Mend

**Author's Note: I know the last chapter was rough. I'm sorry! I was right there with you as far as tears go. I'm incredibly sad to see Liz go, but I assure you there is a purpose, I wouldn't do something that extreme if I didn't have something in store for our characters. I got quite a few reviews expressing their issue with the death, both here and on tumblr (even a death threat, which floored me, I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one) but the majority of you seemed to like it. I have a lot of fun writing this fic and I hope you guys enjoy reading it. **

**I also got a lot of questions about the spoiler I mentioned at the end of the last chapter. It said that there was going to be massive casualties in this week's episode, including someone we've known since season one. We don't know for sure that it's going to be Liz or Carol. That's just my opinion because everyone else that seems like they would be in danger has already filmed episodes past this one. All just my opinions of course. Casualties can mean injuries, not just death so I could be completely off. I'm rambling, just ignore me.**

**Chapter Twenty-Five – Time to Mend**

_Give it space my love  
Listen and hear me. I won't be too far.  
Honest, trust me, I've been you before  
It's not the end, cause you still have time to mend._

"Are you are you sure you want to do this right now, Caroline? I'm sure we could get Carol and the lawyer to come back. You've barely slept. This can wait," Stefan told her, his hands resting on her shoulders as he stood in front of her. He was worried about her. She hadn't slept at all the night before, neither had he or Rebekah, but that was out of necessity. With the hunter out there, someone had to be vigilant and Stefan didn't exactly trust Klaus's hybrids to do the job. She hadn't fed in over 24 hours, something that was evident in her sunken in eyes and paler than usual skin. Her normally bouncy curls were pulled back in a messy bun on top of her head, still damp from her shower and she hasn't bothered to get dressed in anything but a pair of sweatpants and an old sweatshirt that had probably once belonged to her father. The girl standing in front of him was a far cry from his normally-bubbly best friend.

Caroline shook her head slowly, "I have to do it. I might as well get it over with. It's not going to be any easier if I wait. Mrs. Lockwood has already called three times this morning and now she's here. Putting it off won't do any good." She ran her hands over her face as she looked around the room. It felt so strange to even be standing in the house. Her mother not being home was a feeling Caroline was used to. It was the realization that she was never coming home again that Caroline still couldn't wrap her head around. It was so simple to trick herself, tell herself that her mother was simply working the day shift, whatever time of day she needed to excuse her absence. She tried not to. She was trying to make herself accept it, but the idea of being alone was more than she could take. No family. No one to make sure she did her homework or ask her about her day. She knew the day was going to come when her mother would be gone. She was a vampire, she was going to live forever and her mother would not. She just thought she would have more time, her mother was young. She should have had forty more years, but here Caroline was, about to plan her funeral and she didn't even know how she could walk in the room.

"Are you sure you don't want Elena and Bonnie over here? They were your friends before Damon and Klaus happened. I think part of you knows they are still your friends," Stefan offered up.

She shook her head, "It's not that I don't want them here. Part of me does, but part of me doesn't. It's okay not to like my choices. No one put a gun to their head and forced them to be on my side. I don't want them to be here because they think it's what they should do or just because we've always been friends. It won't make a difference. We've been growing apart for a while. The Damon-Klaus issue is just the straw that broke the camel's back. You shouldn't have to repeat old memories to spend time together. Being friends is about making new memories. We haven't done that in a while. Plus them being here is just two more people sitting around this house doing nothing. I don't even like that you and Rebekah feel like you have to hang around here."

"First of all, I am here because you are family to me Caroline. The little sister I never had. It's not because I feel like I have to be or because I'm keeping an eye on you. I would never leave you alone right now." He pulled her into a tight hug. "I think Rebekah is here because she wants to be too." He pulled back, looking down at her, "Your relationship with Elena and Bonnie is your business, but I wouldn't be so quick to throw away a friendship that you've had your whole life. It might take time and you and Elena have it. Just don't write them off forever okay? When you are a vampire, your friends become your family. Your initial reactions can be strong and emotionally charged, but things have a way of cooling over time. I'm sure you aren't thrilled about the idea of her and Damon, just like she isn't about you and Klaus. Give it a decade, you probably won't feel so strongly."

She nodded, thinking carefully about his words. "I don't know about that, but thank you for trying to make me feel better."

"It's my job. I know it's tough and it feels like nothing is ever going to get better right now, but it will," he told her, as the tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes once again. "It'll be okay, we'll get through this."

"I'm not so sure about that, but I'll take your word for it. We should probably go in there. They are both waiting."

"Do you think maybe you should feed before you go in there?" he asked out of concern.

"I'm not really that thirsty. I don't know. I'm fine. I promise I won't eat Mayor Lockwood while we're in there," she said dryly.

"As long as you are sure." He wrapped his arm around her, pressing a friendly kiss to her temple before he led her towards the living room.

Caroline took a deep breath before opening the doors and walking inside. Her lips pressed into a tight line as she saw their family lawyer seated on the couch with a stack of papers sitting in front of him in his brief case, next to him sat Mrs. Lockwood, wearing the same expression of muted sadness. She knew her and her mother had been friends, tentative at best, but having supernatural children probably gave them a lot to talk about. She still wasn't on the list of people she actually wanted to be around.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Caroline. If there's anything Tyler and I can do, please let us know. I know he wanted to be here this morning, but I thought it best to give you more time before you had visitors," Carol said, looking up when Caroline walked into the room.

"Thanks, I'm really not up for anyone being here right now," she said solemnly, shaking her head as she took a seat in the couch across from them, Stefan sitting down next to her. They sat there in silence for a few moments. They were clearly trying to figure out what to say to her. She wasn't sure there was a right answer to that question. "So what exactly do we need to do today? You both sounded so urgent on the phone?" she asked, readjusting her seat in the chair. She wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Oh, yes, sorry, Ms. Forbes," the lawyer spoke, pulling a few things out of his suitcase and setting them on the desk in front of her. "Your mother's will is pretty straight forward. She left everything to you. The house, the car, bank accounts-"

"You would also get her pension from the city and her life insurance policy," Mrs. Lockwood added.

"That's true. In addition, your father's entire estate was left to your mother for your care and that would belong to you as well. Both your father's condo in Atlanta and this house are paid in full. You shouldn't have worry about money until you are well out of college. It's a pretty substantial amount."

Caroline simply nodded; money was the one thing she had not been worrying about. She hated the idea of using compulsion as a way to steal, but she knew she always had it to fall back on. It was comforting to know she wouldn't have to do that for a while. "So what do I need to do?" she asked, quietly.

"Just sign some paperwork." He clicked a pen and set it down on front of her on the stack of paperwork. Caroline picked it up and tucked a loose curl behind her ear before beginning to sign the paperwork.

"Now about the funeral." Caroline's hand froze against the paper at Carol's words. She could feel the plastic beginning to give under her fingertips as she gripped it. Stefan put his hand over hers when he saw it happen.

"I think that's enough for right now," Stefan said.

Caroline shook her head, "No, I can do this. I just want to get it all done," she said her voice already beginning to break. "Just tell me what I need to do."

"Well, your mother had most of her plans laid out in her will. She wanted to be cremated so that simplifies things if you would like to stick to her plans." Caroline nodded, the tears once again beginning to brim her eyes as Stefan held her hand. Her bone crushing grip not bothering him. "When would you like to have it?"

"S-Saturday?" she asked, her voice wavering. "I know it's quick, but I don't want anyone to go to a funeral or have it looming over their heads over the holiday."

"We'll take care of everything," Carol assured her before Caroline finished signing the paperwork and handed it back over to the lawyer. The two of them made their exit and left Stefan and Caroline standing alone in the room.

Stefan opened his mouth to say something, but Caroline quickly stood up and separated herself from him. "I think I'm going to go lay down. This has all just been more than I can handle." She walked out of the room without another word. Stefan sighed as he watched her walk up the stairs, knowing exactly where she was headed. Aside from this meeting, she hadn't been out of bed all day. He knew this was hard for her, it had only been a day, but seeing his normally bubbly best friend like this was difficult.

"How is she?" Rebekah asked, walking into the house with one of Klaus's hybrids trailing behind her with two large brown paper bags in his arms.

"The same. Doesn't really want to talk about it. Won't feed. Won't sleep. I don't know how to help her when all she wants to do is lock herself in her bedroom and pretend it's not happening." He shook his head. "Have you spoken to your brother lately?"

"Not in a while, the calls aren't going through. Service is spotty at best in Russia. Last I heard from him, he was alternating between killing and compelling people to try to get out of the airport. The grounded everything because of the storm, but I think we both know that's not going to stop Nik," Rebekah said, rolling her eyes.

"Where did you go?" Stefan asked, choosing not to comment on Rebekah's nonchalance with the rising body count in St. Petersburg due to her brothers.

"She's out of blood and alcohol. Both seemed relatively necessary all things considered." She motioned for the hybrid to set the bags down on the table. "I'll get her to drink," she sighed. Babysitting wasn't on her to do list today, but she might as well make the best of it. She grabbed a few things off the shelf in the living room along with a few bags of blood and a bottle of wine before heading up the stairs. Knocking lightly on the door, she walked inside.

"I kind of just want to be alone, Rebekah," Caroline said, her eyes never leaving the blank patch of wall as Rebekah walked further into the room, clearly ignoring her request.

"No. Wallowing is pathetic. You are allowed to be sad. You are not allowed to lie in bed until your body desiccates." She dropped the blood bags on the bed next to Caroline. "Now, we have decades of cinematic advancements that I missed because of a dagger and a box. This seems like as good a time as any." She picked up Casablanca and placed it into the player in the corner of Caroline's room before sitting down on the empty side of the bed.

They were halfway through Gone with the Wind before Caroline finally reached for one of the blood bags and pulled the safety top off the tubing before bringing it to her lips. The veins under her sunken in eyes blackening and rippling at the scent of the blood hit her nose.

"Good. I was one more movie away from pinning you to the bed and forcing it down your throat," Rebekah commented.

"Does it get easier?" Caroline asked when the blood bag was finally empty. She didn't look at Rebekah when she spoke, "Living in a world where your parents are dead?"

Rebekah sighed, craning her neck to look at Caroline. "It depends. Mikael was no loss. Nik, Finn, and Elijah took care of me. They protected me. They threatened boys who wished to step out with me. If anyone acted as my father it was the three of them. And after a thousand years of being hunted down like game, you lose all meaning of the word father. We were a wrong he needed to correct. Not children. He never thought of us that way again. My mother was different."

Caroline turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. She didn't say anything though, giving Rebekah opportunity to continue. From everything she knew about Esther, she seemed worse than Mikael, but she didn't pretend to know the whole story. She knew better than anyone that relationships with parents were always complicated.

"She was never this hateful when we were growing up. Mikael was always distant, but Mother tried to make up for it. There was a time when she loved us, even Niklaus. We would spend the day making meals and telling stories while we waited for Mikael to return home each evening. She taught me spells, training me to be like her. Then one day she was gone. I missed her for centuries, but life went on. It always does. I'm certain you will figure out how eventually. There comes a time when you don't feel guilty for letting yourself be happy anymore."

"At least you always have your brothers. My mom was it for me," Caroline sighed, shaking her head.

Rebekah scoffed at the words. "Finn is dead. Elijah and Kol would prefer gallivanting around the world with their whores than checking in or taking me along. And Niklaus, well, he's himself and love him or hate him, that's never going to change. It's his way or no way."

"He cares about you, Rebekah. He's just not great at showing it."

"Words have never been his strong suit," Rebekah sighed. "And you have people. Just because your mother is gone, doesn't mean you are alone."

"Not really. Stefan and you seem to be getting along well. You have each other. Damon and Elena, Bonnie will find someone."

"And Nik? I was under the impression you two were a _thing_?" she said, the last word hanging on her tongue.

"We are. And I really care about Klaus, but I'm not foolish enough to think that I can hold his attention for very long. I'm an eighteen year old baby vampire who isn't cultured or worldly or any of the things he is. He's a thousand years old, it's only a matter of time before he realizes what a mess I am and realizes his mistake. I've never been the first choice. Matt and Damon wanted Elena. Tyler wanted Hayley. Even my dad left, twice. Once when I was a kid and then he chose to die instead of be what I am. No one would ever choose me if they had another choice. No one except my mom and now she's gone. So as much as I like him and I want to try to tell myself that it's different this time and maybe I'll be enough this time, the story is going to end the same way. So I'm just going to enjoy my time with him until he finds something he wants more, because everyone always wants more than I can give them."

Klaus stood outside her bedroom door for what seemed like an eternity after that, silently debating whether or not to tell her he had heard her speech. He wanted to tell her she was wrong, but telling her wouldn't be enough. It was in that moment he realized that despite the image of perfection she tried to show the world, she was just as broken as he was and he would spend a lifetime trying to prove her wrong.


	26. They'll Never Know

**Chapter Twenty-Six – They'll Never Know**

_Hush, baby don't cry  
Just get through this night, Overcome  
Cause all that you are is broken inside  
But they'll never know_

Rebekah had decided against arguing with Caroline. Her mother had just died and she knew there was nothing she could say to make her feel differently. She was about to change the subject when the scent hit her nose. "My brother is here," she announced, standing from the bed and pulling Gone with the Wind from the DVD player. "I'm taking this with me." She turned towards the door, slipping into the hallway. "Stop stalking behind doorframes." She told Klaus before walking past him towards the stairs.

She was gone before he had a chance to respond, leaving him alone in the hallway. He pushed the door open slowly before walking inside. She looked so small buried underneath the comforter of her bed. She turned her head to look at him, "You came back?" she asked softly, but the surprise in her voice was there, "What about the sword?"

"Kol took care of it," he said, not bothering to go into details about what a disaster it had been. They could do that later, right now he had more important things to think about, like the small tear streaks he could see on Caroline's face. "What can I do, sweetheart?"

"Stay," she whispered, looking up at him. He nodded and walked over to the bed. He toed off his boots before pulling back the covers and climbing into bed with her. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could say that could bring Liz back for Caroline. He, instead, stayed silent, letting her curl up against his chest and bury her face in the crook of his neck. It wasn't long before he felt the hot, wet tears sliding over his skin; the gentle sobs making her body tremble against his.

"I'm sorry, love," he mumbled against her hair as his hand ran over her back, trying to soothe her in some way. He was still not good at comforting, but for Caroline he could make the exception.

"Am I interrupting?" Damon asked as he appeared in the doorway.

"I don't believe your presence is required, Damon," Klaus said, raising an eyebrow.

"Down killer, Stefan already vetted me and he let me upstairs. I came to talk to Caroline," he said, watching as Klaus relaxed a bit, but not completely. "Alone," he clarified, as Klaus gave him a skeptical look. "If you think I'm going to hurt her or something, you are wrong. I kind of like my head attached to my body."

"Five minutes and if you upset her more, your fear will be reality," he warned before standing up and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"So, Barbie…" Caroline set down the empty blood bag and looked over at him as he walked towards the bed. She thought he was going to sit, but he stopped just short of it, tracing his finger over the edge of her dresser. "You and Elena are-"

"Did you really come over here to talk to me about Elena?" Caroline deadpanned.

"No, well yes, but just hear me out," he said, pulling the chair from her desk out and straddling it. "I know Liz just- I know you just lost your mom and I know that you have Stefan and Bex and…Klaus, but a few more people couldn't hurt." He sighed as her face still bore confusion and frustration. "All I know is that Elena needs you right now and you probably need her too. I don't know if Elena will ever be okay with Klaus, but.." he said, taking a deep breath. He wished he had a glass of bourbon or several. This was not a conversation he ever thought he would have. "I'm not saying this because your mom died and I feel sorry for you; I'm saying this because I should have a long time ago." He paused again, his eyes shifting around the room as he tried to find the words. "I'm sorry. For what I did to you back then. You didn't deserve it." He leaned forward on the back of the chair.

"Why are you doing this, Damon?" Caroline asked, looking over at him.

"Because I need you to know that I care about her and I wouldn't hurt her the way I hurt you because-"

"Elena is too special and important to hurt. Got it." Caroline nodded, her lips pressed in a tight smile, trying not to let the tears fall as her point was reinforced once again.

"That's not what I meant, Caroline. I just don't want to be the reason you and Elena aren't friends anymore. Especially when you need her."

She shook her head, "So guilt," she clarified. She wanted to yell, scream, make a scene for him to be so presumptuous and egotistical as to assume any of this had to do with him, but she didn't. She didn't need Klaus barging into the room and killing Damon for upsetting her as he had already threatened. "I'm not mad at Elena. I'm really not. If she's happy with you, then I'm happy for her, but I can't spend the rest of my life in Elena Land. I would never let her die if I could stop it, but I can't keep pretending that Elena's life and happiness is more important than everyone else's. The funeral is Saturday. I'll see all of you then," she told him as Klaus, who had no doubt been listening to their interaction as he stood outside the door, walked in.

Damon stood from his chair and walked towards the door, past Klaus as he took his spot next to Caroline once again. He paused in the door way, but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry about Liz. She was a good person, Barbie." He pulled his hand away from the door frame and walked away.

"Are you alright, love?" Klaus asked.

"Fine," she breathed, settling under the thick blankets once more, hoping to hide from the world for a little bit longer as Klaus bought her close once again.

| With or Without You |

Caroline knew this day would be difficult. It was a given. Caroline was standing in front of the mirror, smoothing down the plain black dress. She wasn't trying to impress anyone today; she just wanted to make it through it. She turned when she saw Klaus standing in the door way.

"Are you ready to go, love?" he asked, buttoning his suit jacket as he watched her.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. I can't imagine that funerals are really your thing," Caroline said, picking up her purse and making sure she had everything she needed to get through the day.

"On the contrary, I enjoy a good funeral as much as the next creature of the night," he said, attempting to make her smile as he walked over to her. He reached forward, his thumbs gently brushing across her cheeks as he cupped her face. "I'm not letting you do this alone."

She set her hands on his wrists, pressing a kiss to his palm, "Thank you," she mumbled against it before letting him pull away. He picked up her jacket and held it up for her as she slipped her arms into it, pulling it tight around her small frame. She nodded, letting him know she was ready to go before following him down the stairs and out to the car.

The church was already filled to the brim with people. Ones she had known her entire life, ones she had never met. Elena and Damon were seated near the back, ready to make a quick escape if Elena's blood lust became an issue like the last funeral they had all attended together. Bonnie, Matt, and Jeremy were seated a few rows up, ensuring that Jeremy was not alone and not close to any vampires or hybrids. Carol was sitting near the front of the church with Tyler, who looked extremely uncomfortable, and Hayley, who looked even less so as she whined in Tyler's ear about being at his ex-girlfriend's mother's funeral. He seemed to tense as he watched Caroline walk into the church with Klaus wrapped around her, as did most of her other friends, but she ignored it. Making her way through a sea of condolences, she ended up in the front of the church, seated in the pew.

"So nine vampires walk into a church and-" Caroline turned her head to see Kol strolling in with Rebekah, Elijah and Stefan, all of whom looked extremely annoyed with his words.

"For God's sake, Kol, we're at a funeral. Why did you even want to come?" Rebekah asked, pinching the bridge of her nose as she walked in step with Stefan.

"I came to give my condolences, Bekah," Kol said simply. "This was the town sheriff and I am a citizen of the town."

"You never met her," Rebekah combatted, keeping her voice down so they didn't make a scene.

"I happen to think it's interesting to see which vampire will burst into flames from being inside a church first. Nik seems like a sure thing, but I wouldn't count Damon Salvatore out," he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm going to kill him," Klaus seethed from his seat next to Caroline, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

"It's fine. He's going to make even more of a scene if you make him go home," Caroline said as Stefan came to sit next to them with Rebekah at his side. He slipped his hand into Caroline's giving it a comforting squeeze as the minister took the pulpit to begin speaking about her mother. If Caroline was being honest, the whole thing was a train wreck. Tyler had been glaring at the back of her head through the whole service and she had heard the first half of all of Kol's jokes followed by a muffled complaint of pain when Elijah had put a stop to talking. By the time the service was over, Caroline was beginning to wish she had just stayed in bed this morning. She thanked a few people for coming as they apologized for her loss. Each one making her feel increasingly uncomfortable. She didn't know what to say. 'Thank you' and 'It's okay' seemed to be the standard answers even though it was far from okay and there was absolutely nothing to be thankful for.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Tyler asked, walking up to Caroline and setting his hand on her arm.

"Sure," Caroline said skeptically, following him to the sidewalk outside the church away from prying eyes.

"Why is Klaus here?" he asked, his voice not nearly as venomous as she expected it to be.

She sighed, folding her arms over her chest. "You know why he's here, Tyler. We are a couple. This isn't up for debate." She didn't want to argue with him.

"I'm not trying to debate you. I just want to make sure you are okay," he said, his voice laced with what Caroline could only guess was genuine concern.

"I'm fine. Why don't you get back to Hayley? She's looking a little lonely over there," she said, glancing past him to where Hayley was standing against the tree, silently seething about Tyler talking to her.

"Hayley can deal for a few minutes. Your mom just died."

"Exactly, my mom just died and you are standing here trying to talk to me about my relationship with Klaus." She sighed, letting her hand fall to his shoulder. "I appreciate you coming, but I'm not discussing this with you right now. Go see your girlfriend, I'm going to go find my boyfriend." She patted his chest before walking away, seeing Hayley storm off in the other direction as she did so. She shook her head, not having the energy to care about it at the moment. She walked around the corner to where Klaus was standing next to the car.

"Everything alright, love?" he asked, his jaw still set after seeing her speak to Tyler.

"He just wanted to know if I was doing alright," she said, moving to get into the car, but he stopped her.

"Actually, Stefan is going to take you home. Rebekah and I have a few tasks to take care of," he told her, looking down to see a saddened expression on her face, though she quickly hid it. "I'll be back in a few hours, sweetheart." He leaned in to kiss her as Rebekah and Stefan began to walk over towards them. Rebekah moved to get into the car before Klaus did the same, leaving Caroline with Stefan.

"Are you sure about this?" Rebekah asked, buckling her seatbelt as they pulled away from the curb.

"It's the best thing I can do for her right now," Klaus answered, stoically.

| With or Without You |

"Did they tell you what they were doing?" Caroline asked as she and Stefan made their way into the house, walking past the hybrids standing outside the house.

"Nope," Stefan lied, guiding her into the house. "What do you want to do now?" he asked, trying to gear the subject in another direction. "I think I can suffer through a few chickflicks for you. Maybe even a Christmas movie? Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, Care. Isn't it your favorite?"

"It's kind of hard to get excited for Christmas when I just attended my mother's funeral," Caroline said flatly, reaching for the bottle of wine in the top shelf of the fridge and pouring herself a glass. "I think I want to drink and try not to hate everything so much," she brought the glass to her lips. "Maybe figure out what I do next."

"Well, I can help you with the last part," Stefan said, helping himself to a glass before following her over to the couch to sit down. "What do you need to figure out? You can do whatever you want, Caroline. If you want to go to college, travel, stay here, it's all okay. No one is going to question any decisions you make."

"I don't know what I want and I think that's part of the problem. I'm eighteen, Stefan. I'm supposed to have time to figure this out. Time to call my mother from my crappy apartment at whatever state school I choose and cry about how I hate my major and I want to change it for the fifteenth time. Time to call her from whatever city I chose to visit first and tell her it's beautiful, but I miss her and Mystic Falls. She's supposed to be here." She resisted the urge to crumble, but she could feel the hot tears beginning to prickle her eyes.

"I know, Care," Stefan said, his brow furrowing as he turned to look at her. "We're just going to take it one step at a time." He set his hand on top of hers. "We don't have to figure everything out tonight. The only thing you need to figure out right now is where you want to live. You can stay here or if it's too hard you can sell it and get an apartment or don't sell it. You have the money to do both now. It's whatever is easiest for you."

"No, I think I want to stay. This is where I grew up, good memories and bad, but my dad's condo needs to go." She shook her head, reaching her hand up and wiping away the tears.

"Good. Now you don't have to figure out school or anything like that right now. You still have a semester left of high school." She nodded when he spoke; thankful he was making things a bit simpler for her. "I know it's hard right now. I'm not telling you it's going to be better tomorrow, you are never going to stop wishing she wasn't dead or wanting to talk to her, but you will get to a point where it doesn't hurt to get out of bed every day."

Caroline took a deep breath before looking over at him, "You are annoyingly wise sometimes, Stef." She shook her head, bringing the glass to her lips once again before reaching for the remote and settling on How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

"I thought you weren't in the mood for Christmas movies?" he raised an eyebrow, walking over to the counter to grab the wine bottle and bring it over to the couch for them, refilling her glass then his own.

"I can make an exception for the Grinch. Maybe I'll learn something," she said, leaning back into the couch with the glass in her hand. "Have you ever noticed that sometimes the Grinch is a half hour and sometimes it's an hour, but nothing ever seems to be missing and there never seems to be too many commercials? I mean so they think the American People won't notice something like that? Where do those extra 30 minutes come from?"

"You really do like Christmas don't you?"

"How can you not notice something like that?"

"That's a Caroline problem," he mocked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they settled in to watch the movie together.

After Caroline fell asleep, he placed the blanket over her, taking the wine glass out of her hand and setting it on the coffee table before walking out to the porch. He fished the phone from his pocket and dialed the number. "Is everything set for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes, the drive is a bit longer than I had anticipated, but Rebekah and I will be back in a matter of hours. Everything will be ready for the morning. She has no idea?" Klaus questioned.

"No, she fell asleep on the couch watching the Grinch after polishing off a bottle of wine. She doesn't know anything."

"Good. Let's keep it that way."

**Author's Note: Over 500 reviews?! Holy Cow! You guys are amazing. Keep it coming please!**


	27. Christmas Lights

**Chapter Twenty-Seven – Christmas Lights**

_Still waiting for the snow to fall  
It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all  
Those Christmas lights, light up the streets  
Down where the sea and city meet  
May all your troubles soon be gone  
Oh Christmas lights, keep shining on_

"Caroline," Klaus whispered, brushing his lips over hers as he laid in bed next to her. He couldn't help but smirk in amusement as the blond hair fell over her face. She looked bemused as he brushed the blonde curls away from her cheeks and eyes.

"When did you get back?" she asked, her voice laced with sleep as she craned her neck to look up at him.

"Just after midnight. You were out like the dead," he said, pulling the covers away from her.

"Where were you?" she asked, tugging back on them, trying to keep herself buried in the comforts of her bed as long as possible. He had to chuckle at her unwillingness to budge from bed. She did this every morning. For someone who was so full of energy and light he could never understand how she could have such trouble getting out of bed. She would pull the covers over her head and bury herself within the depths of the blankets and pillows, anything to avoid the sunlight invading her room.

"That I can't tell you," he said, drumming his fingers again the pillow.

At his cryptic response, Caroline pulled the covers from over her head and looked up at him from under hooded eyes. "Why are you being so sneaky?"

"I'm not being _sneaky, _love. We call them surprises in some circles," he pointed out, once again pulling the covers from her body. He leaned in closer, his face only inches hers, "Just get dressed and come down to the car. I can't tell you where I was, but I can show you."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, beginning to push herself up into a sitting position.

He pressed his finger to his lips with a smirk, "The question and answer portion of the day is over."

"It never really started, you haven't answered any of my questions," Caroline pointed out as she pulled her hair back into a pony tail.

"I'm simply asking you to get dressed or shower or whatever it is that you need to do in order to leave the house."

"Fine." She threw the covers completely off and headed into the bathroom to shower.

An hour later Caroline found herself sitting in the passenger's seat of Klaus's SUV, fiddling with her hands in her lap. She had stopped recognizing the scenery about ten minutes after they left Mystic Falls. Normally she would have been a-buzz with questions about where they were going and how long they would be gone. She probably would have searched the car for clues, but she was still having trouble focusing on anything aside from the fact that she had buried her mother yesterday. Finally she grew tired of doing nothing and staring out the window at the snow white banks that lined the side of the road. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and began checking all of her social media. Her thumb was lingering over the GPS app when she felt the phone lifted from her hands.

"You really don't understand what surprise means, do you, love?" Klaus asked as he turned the phone off and slipped it into the center console before returning his hands to the leather steering wheel.

"I was just curious," she said, turning towards him. "For all I know you are taking me out into the middle of the woods to murder me. We've been driving for an hour or more," she pointed out with a small smile on her lips.

"Do you really think I would go through all of the effort of driving to the middle of the woods if all I was going to do was kill you? I could do that at home," he mused, glancing over at her, glad to see a smile, albeit small, finally on her lips once more. He reached for her hand on the center console, bringing it to his lips and brushing a small kiss across her knuckles as he drove, "We'll be there soon."

She nodded, leaving her fingers wrapped around his as they came to rest between them as they finished the rest of the drive. As they pulled onto a narrow dirt road, Caroline found herself looking from him to what was up the road they were traveling towards then back to him. "Really?" she asked, her voice cracking a little as she saw the small cottage in the woods where she had spent Christmas with her family. The same house she had told him about when they were in New York.

It was exactly what she remembered. Down to a tee. The cottage was small, she remembered there only being a bathroom, a kitchen/living room and two bedrooms, but it was plenty big enough. She could see the smoke puffing from the small chimney, letting her know that someone had already been up there today to set it all up for them. It was surrounded by snow and trees, but she could still see a small wreath hanging on the front door with a small bow on it. During the time she had spent admiring the house, Klaus had exited the car and walked around to her side, pulling the door open for her. "How did you do all this?"

"A phone call and a little compulsion goes a long way, sweetheart," he said.

"How did you know though?" Caroline asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as she looked up at him.

"Well, you made it abundantly clear how much you love Christmas. You are full of light, Caroline, I would be doing the world a great disservice if I didn't help to fan that flame. Stefan told me to 'take a play from your playbook' and well this seemed like a very Caroline thing to do," he nodded, his own arms sliding around her waist. He leaned down, his lips pressed to hers for a moment, "Come along, love. You'll catch your death out here," he smirked, pulling the bags from the back of the SUV and walking inside, his hand pressed against her lower back.

Klaus knew he had made the correct decision as he watched Caroline walk into the house. She moved from room to room with all the enthusiasm of a child set loose in a toy store. She walked from the kitchen to the living room before disappearing into the bedroom with the same goofy smile on her face that she had been wearing since they pulled up. It was the most he had seen her smile in days. While she ran around, he did a few things that needed to be done. He put the blood from the cooler in the SUV into the fridge and managed to stoke the fire, adding a few logs to it as necessary. They didn't need to stay warm, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the flames. He finally looked out when Caroline emerged from the bedroom, carrying a box that appeared larger than her.

"Look what I found," she beamed setting the box down on the couch and opening it up. "It was in the closet in the bedroom." Slowly, she began to pull Christmas decorations from it, setting them on the couch.

"We don't have a tree, Caroline," he pointed out as she laid a strand of lights down on the wooden coffee table, followed by a handful of ornaments.

"And you are a big, bad, king hybrid original. Something tells me acquiring a tree in the middle of the forest will not be a difficult task," she said, patting his chest. She set down the ornaments and picked up the scarf she had discarded on the couch when they first came in. "And there's the saw in the box." She handed him the rusty old thing, she didn't understand, but was confident he could figure out. "Come on, let's go find our first Christmas tree." She smiled, holding her hand out to him as she stood next to the door.

He couldn't fight the smile that took over his face as he took her hand and walked out the door with her. She didn't waste any time pulling him around the forest looking for the perfect tree. Every time they came across one that he thought might be acceptable, Caroline came up with some kind of reason it wasn't perfect. It was too tall or short. It was bare in the back or there weren't enough branches on one side. It was too full or she was concerned about sap.

"I think your expectations for a tree might be a bit high, love," Klaus commented, his hands clasped behind his back as she circled another evergreen tree, inspecting it carefully.

"They are not. The perfect tree is out here somewhere and I'm going to find it. It's too important not to. It's Christmas Eve," she said, shaking her head as she silently rejected another tree before looking around for the next contestant in her personal tree pageant. "There has to be one out here."

"One of the sides could go in the corner," he pointed out, trying to be logical. They had been out there for over two hours now and frankly his patience on the tree issue was wearing a bit thin. It wasn't as though he was bored, watching Caroline flitter around the forest was entertaining enough, but he could certainly think of better ways to fill their time in the woods.

"That's tacky." She shook her head as she began to check another tree. "What do you think about this one?" she asked, standing next to it. "Is it too tall or too bushy?" She turned to look at it once again, scrunching her nose as she scrutinized every inch of the tree, trying to make the decision.

"It looks good to me, but I haven't been able to find fault in the last fourteen trees, save for the one the chipmunks were living in, so what do I know?" he said, a cheeky smirk on his lips.

"You are no help," she scoffed, taking another look at the tree. "I think this is it. Now it's time for your job," she said gleefully as she took a step back from the tree and pointed towards the bottom.

Begrudgingly, Klaus crouched down and took hold of the tree with his left hand, the small hacksaw in his right. A few strokes of the saw and the tree was detached while Caroline stood off to the side with the same blissfully happy expression she had been wearing since they had arrived at the cabin. While he didn't enjoy manual labor, especially when he had hybrids for this purpose, he did like knowing that he was the one who brought her smile back. Holding the tree with one hand, he shook out the loose needles and debris before the two of them headed back to the house. "Where do you want it, Caroline?"

"There." She pointed towards the corner near the kitchen, "No wait, there. Hm?" She tilted her head to the side for a moment before pointing to the corner of the living room just next to the fireplace. "There." She nodded with certainty, setting down the tree base on the ground where she wanted it. "Now we have to put lights on it and the ornaments and it'll be all ready." She unraveled her scarf before beginning to sort out the lights and see which strands worked and which ones didn't.

He watched her for a while before she finally coaxed him off the couch to help her with the ornaments all while she dictated where each one should go. He was tempted to move them while she wasn't looking simply to see if she noticed. "You can barely see the tree," he chuckled as she pulled another armful of ornaments out of the bottomless box she had found earlier.

"It's just full," she said seriously, handing him another bulb as she placed one near the top of the tree.

"It was full fifteen ornaments ago," he said, tilting his head to the side.

"When did you become the Christmas authority? I had to bribe you off the couch with the promise of sex fifteen minutes ago," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"It may not be my favorite holiday, but I have seen quite a few Christmas trees over the last oh thousand years," he held his hands up.

"That does not make you an expert." She pointed the ornament in her hand at him, "And these are the last ones. So hush, we just have to put the star on."

"Did you just hush me? I've killed for less, love."

"I did and we already established that you didn't bring me here to kill me so I think I'm safe." She smirked, lifting the star from the box and walking over to the tree, standing up on her tip toes to reach it, placing it square on the top of the tree. "There. It's actually really beautiful." She leaned back into his chest before pulling him towards the couch and falling back on it with him. "We did well," she said, looking up at the lights as they lit up the walls and ceiling in the now dark room. Between the drive up and Christmas tree hunting, they had spent most of their light busy with other activities, but Caroline didn't mind.

"It's quite festive," he commented, settling his arm around her. Caroline got comfortable against him before reaching for the television remote. "What are you doing? We're in the middle of the woods. Television is out of the question."

"It's Christmas Eve. We have to watch a Christmas movie. It's tradition," she protested, settling on an old black movie before curling into his chest further.

"I didn't take you for someone who enjoyed classical movies." He gave her a peculiar look.

"It's Judy Garland. Meet Me in St. Louis. It's the best Christmas movie there is of all times. It's so romantic and that proposal. All of it is perfect," she said dramatically. She had loved this movie since she was a little girl; they used to watch it as a family. She frowned a bit when she thought about those times when they were just a normal family. No vampires and workaholics and boyfriends on the side, back when everything was easy and everyone was alive. "Does it ever get easier? Losing someone like this? I feel like part of me is missing and I don't know how to not feel that way. It's a little empty."

He sat up a bit, looking down at her, "I don't think easier is the word I would use. Losing people is something you have to get used to, Caroline. It sounds harsh, but you are a vampire, you are going to live forever. Hundreds if not thousands of people are going to cross your path over time and most of them will be mortal and have to die. You won't have the human connection with them like you have with your mother, but you'll still care and it will still hurt, over time it lessens. You feel less. Loss is a natural part of life."

"I don't want to feel less," she said, looking up at him. "I know it hurts and it hurts like hell, but as much as I want it to stop hurting, the fact that it hurts makes me feel human. I know we can turn it off, but I don't want to. I never want to."

"It's foolish to let yourself feel when you have a choice, Caroline," he said. She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off continuing his thought, "but it's what makes you the person that you and the person that all of your friends depend on." He looked down at her, "And the person I've come to care about a great deal." She smiled at him, moving up to press her lips to his before cuddling back into his chest to watch the rest of the movie, eventually falling asleep.

**Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long! It's been quite the week for me between finals and work and life in general. It's been a mad house around here, but here you go. I hope you enjoy! **


	28. This Place Could Be My Home

**Chapter Twenty-Eight – This Place Could Be My Home**

_I think I'd be happy where ever you are and each time I come back, it doesn't seem as far  
I'm kinda disappointed that I only just met you  
And envious of your home town and everyone that always had you around  
I'm starting to think it's not the goodbyes but the in-between that gets you down  
We've walked the streets of your town a few times now._

"Get up, get up, get up! It's Christmas," Caroline beamed, jumping into bed and abruptly waking up Klaus. By the time he finally turned over and looked at her, she was sitting on her heels next to him in bed with a steaming cup of hot chocolate with peppermint and a look of pure elation. She was practically bouncing off the walls, unable to sit still with the excitement of the day. Judging by the state of her hair and clothes, she had been awake for a while. "Get dressed," she instructed as his hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her back to him without spilling her hot chocolate.

"I don't see why clothing is necessary. It's just the two of us," he said, his nose brushing over her jawline as his lips went for her neck.

Caroline closed her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy it for a moment before gently pushing him back and informing him of the truth, "We're not alone though. So save it for later." He quirked an eyebrow, before tuning into the noises in the living room and looking to her for an explanation. "Well, you surprised me with this trip and I didn't know we were spending Christmas here. So yesterday when we finished putting the tree up, I sent a message to Stefan and asked if he would run my Christmas presents for you up here and that slowly turned into me asking him and Rebekah to come up here and spend Christmas with us and it kind of snowballed from there." She smiled, hopeful that he wouldn't be angry. "It's just for a few hours, then it's just you and I again." She pressed her lips to his again. "Get dressed." And with that she detangled herself from him and brought her coffee cup to her lips once again before bouncing out of the bedroom.

Klaus let his head fall back against the pillows, before ultimately getting up wondering what fresh, new hell was awaiting him outside the bedroom door. Stefan and Rebekah he could handle, it was the fact that things has 'snowballed', as Caroline put it, that he did not think he would appreciate. He showered and dressed before walking out of the living room. Rebekah and Kol were standing in the kitchen mixing up what he could only guess was rum with a touch of eggnog, not his personal favorite, but it would do in a pinch. Stefan was standing behind the two of them, trying to convince the two of them that a little less alcohol would not be the end of the world. Caroline was seated on couch next to Elijah, Santa hat crookedly resting on her head as she tried to convince Elijah to put the hat in her hands on, all with _The Christmas Story_ blaring on the TV in the background.

As soon as Caroline saw him standing there, she jumped up from the couch, "It's about time. I was getting ready to come in there and get you out of bed." The white ball of fur on the hat flopped with each step she took. "Christmas with the family," she said quietly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's not exactly a villa in Italy, but Mikael can't ruin this." She kissed him before relinquishing her hold on him and taking back her spot on the couch next to Elijah.

"So you all had nothing better to do than to drive two hours into the mountains?" Klaus asked, doing a double take when he noticed the Christmas tree was suddenly surrounded by presents that weren't there the night before.

"I got to shop," Rebekah defended her actions simply before taking a seat on Stefan's lap in one of the arm chairs. She was not normally such a time player, but the answer seemed to satisfy anyone's concerns.

"Caroline asked me to," Stefan and Elijah both said, not quite in unison before all eyes fell on Kol, waiting for what his reasoning was.

"They made me," he said, pointing his glass at Elijah and Rebekah. "I was perfectly content eating my way through the Alpha Phi sorority house when these two told me to put on something presentable and get into the car. This was not my decision I want that to be made perfectly clear." Rebekah shot him a threatening glare before bringing her glass to her lips. "Oh, don't pretend they are happy we are here, Bex. We interrupted their sexual depravity. Why else to people come up to the middle of nowhere?" He held his hands up innocently, taking a seat on the kitchen counter unable to wipe the smirk from his face.

Klaus's glare hardened before falling upon Caroline who seemed to be amused with his statement when he thought he would find anger. "You are just angry because you aren't getting any. Contrary to popular belief, blood is not an adequate substitute for orgasms," Caroline said, picking up her own glass.

"I like her," Kol commented. "So when do we get to the present portion of the day, that's always the most pleasant part. If not the only part I enjoy."

"What makes you think you have any presents? I thought bad little boys got coal," Rebekah said, wrapping her arm around Stefan's shoulders to find a more comfortably position.

"I am Kol, I couldn't possibly give myself to myself. At least not in front of all of you, that would be rude and I would end up in a box. I'm sure you both remember how little fun there is to be had in those boxes." She wrinkled his nose, shaking his head before the smirk returned to his face.

"That's just a thing people tell their children to make them behave," Caroline said, crossing her arms.

"I know, Sweetheart, who do you think perpetuated the rumor?" he asked, quite full of himself, "Granted I would have preferred if it was used to make teenage girls misbehave, the line has worked quite well for me in the past."

"You are going to ruin Christmas for me, I don't want to know what other twisted lines you've used to get women in bed."

"Oh come on, you were so much fun a minute ago, don't ruin the fun. I have lists."

"That's enough, Kol." Klaus said, taking a drink from Caroline's glass, sensing he would need something a little stronger if he was going to get through this afternoon. "You know I don't recall working out a suitable punishment to make you understand how detrimental your actions in St. Petersburg were to our entire purpose here. Perhaps we should do that now. What do you think, Kol?"

"You wanted the sword, I retrieved the sword."

"By notifying, via the international press, every person, hunter, supernatural, or otherwise that is aware of the existence of the swords that someone is collecting them. Wonderful help there. It's going to make it that much harder to get the next one," Klaus said.

"Klaus," Caroline spoke, placing a hand she hoped would calm him on his arm.

"No, Caroline, if he's going to act like a petulant child, I'm going to treat him like one. And children get punished. They are better seen and not heard or better yet, not seen at all," he snapped.

"Not on Christmas," she asked her eyes pleading with him. "You can work it out later. Just not on Christmas." She asked before Elijah gave Klaus a look that backed up what Caroline had requested.

"Fine, we will discuss this later though," he warned, his jaw still set, regardless of Caroline's hand on his thigh in an attempt to get him to relax.

"Great." She nodded, "And I actually think presents are probably the best way to go right about now." She hoped up from the couch and walked over to the tree to start distributing them. Presents had always been her favorite part of Christmas, not receiving them, but giving them. She loved the hunt, picking out the perfect present for someone. The thing they always wanted but didn't realize they needed and watching the look on their face when they opened it was better than anything Caroline could have hoped for. This year had been a particular challenge for her. She had begun present hunting early in November, but she had to scramble to figure out what to get Rebekah, Elijah, and even Kol. By far the hardest person on her list to shop for had been Klaus. It had taken her three times as long as anyone else on her list to find the perfect present for him and even still she felt insecure about what she had gotten him.

Once each person has a few presents sitting in front of them, Caroline sat back on the arm of Klaus's chair as she watched in delight as everyone opens their presents. Stefan's present had been the simplest for her to choose. She had gotten him a karaoke machine, stating how much he had enjoyed himself during their night out, she wanted him to be able to do it whenever he wished and she would be more than happy to join him.

Kol and Elijah were a great deal more difficult to shop for. She had no idea what to get either of them and trying to get information out of Rebekah had been less than forthcoming. She eventually decided on pair of noise cancelling headphones for Elijah, for whenever he felt the need to drown out his arguing siblings. And for Kol, she went with a bat.

"I've heard you are fond of bats. This one is aluminum and won't break as easily as the wooden variety," Caroline pointed out.

"I'll be the judge of that. I can't wait to test this out later." He took a practice swing.

"I don't think I want to know that that entails," she said, shaking her head before turning to Rebekah. "Your turn," she said, leaning into Klaus as Rebekah tore the wrapping paper and bow from the medium sized box. The other blonde looked confused as she pulled a silver dress from within it's depths. "Keep going," Caroline encouraged as Rebekah hung the beautiful dress over the arm of the chair so she could keep going before she pulled a small piece of paper out of it. "It's your prom ticket," Caroline said with a smile. "You are making it to this dance."

A soft smile graced Rebekah's lips, a rare genuine smile. She looked up at Caroline with pure gratitude for a moment before wiping it away, "Thank you, but if you complain about me beating you for prom queen, you are not allowed to complain about it."

Caroline rolled her eyes before nodding. "Now you," she turned towards Klaus, placing the small box in his hands for him to open. "I've been thinking about this for a while you are probably going to hate it, but what in the world does one buy a one thousand year old hybrid. You probably have everything already," she rambled as he began to tear away at the paper and pulled a pocket-style, silver watch from the box. He examined it for a moment before closing his hand around it. He pressed a kiss against the side of her head, breaking his strict rules about public displays of affection before going back to examining the watch face. Caroline was a bit disappointed he didn't spend more time looking at it before tucking it into his pocket for safekeeping, but she did not let it show.

Once the presents were all unwrapped and a heroic amount of Eggnog had been drunk, Klaus found himself making himself a glass of bourbon and blood in the kitchen, watching the rest of his family in the living room. Kol and Stefan were engrossed in some kind of sporting event on the TV and Rebekah and Caroline were sitting in the corner of the room, busily planning what he could only assume would be the prom he was certain he would be roped into attending. It was still strange for him to see his whole family together and getting along. It was what he had always wanted. To reunite them one day, but even when they were undaggered, he had not been able to achieve that. Not until Caroline.

"She's remarkable," Elijah commented as he walked into the kitchen, observing his brother gazing at Caroline.

"That she is, a force to be reckoned with," Klaus spoke, peeling his eyes away from the blonde and looking over at his brother. He placed the glass he had already fixed in front of the oldest Mikaelson and began on another. "I thought you would be flying back to whatever cave you left Katerina in to spend the holiday with her."

"I considered it, but Katerina hates Christmas. She likes to pretend it does not exist. Then Caroline asked me to attend this gathering yesterday and I could not turn down the request. It's been far too long since we acted like a family," Elijah said, picking up the glass. "Like I said, she's quite remarkable. Don't let her go, brother."

"Of that, I have no intentions." He tapped his glass against his brother's before taking a drink. Not long after the exchange, the three originals and Stefan, packed up the presents and piled back into the dark SUV to head back to Mystic Falls, once again leaving Caroline and Klaus alone in the house.

"I thought they would never leave," Klaus said, pulling Caroline into his arms after closing the door as the last of his siblings walked out the door.

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy yourself even a little bit," she told him, pulling him back towards the couch. "Now, I never gave you the second half of my present to you." She sat him down on the couch before walking into the bedroom and coming back with another small perfectly wrapped present, "I didn't want to give it to you in front of everyone because it's a bit silly, but it's something I wanted you to have." She watched him once again peel the wrapping paper from the box and open it up. Inside was a small hemp necklace, a bit warn and not exactly perfectly crafted, but intact nonetheless. "I know it's not exactly gold or silver, but you are always wearing necklaces and I thought perhaps you could use one more. It was mine, I made it when I was seven," she said, running her fingers over the spiral design of the necklace in his hands.

"It's perfect, Caroline." He took her chin between his thumb and index finger and brought her in for kiss. "And now your present."

"You got me something?" she asked confused. She had not exactly taken him for the present giving type and after he had not produced one for her while they were exchanging earlier, she simply assumed she was correct. It didn't bother her, but now she found herself excited at the prospect of what he would get her.

"Of course, I got you something. It's Christmas," he said in an incredulous tone. She watched him carefully, waiting for him to get up to get it, but he never did. A few moments later, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.

Taking the key into her hand, she examined it for a moment before looking up at him, "What is the key to?" she asked, turning it over in her hand to see if it had any distinguishing marks or writing on it.

"This house," he told her, closing her hand around the key. "It's yours. You can come up here whenever you want. I'll take you."

"Really? You are giving me a house?" she asked, her arms already sliding around his neck before he had a moment to answer. "It's perfect. I love you," she said, looking into his eyes as she said the words for the first time, but there was no response.

**Alright, I had originally planned to only make Christmas one chapter, but I decided that after the hell I put everyone through with Liz's death, you all could use a bit more Christmas fluff. I hope you guys enjoy and have a happy holiday! As I posted on my personal blog (if you follow me on tumblr) between family in town and the holidays, my updates will be a bit slower until the beginning of next year. I'm still working on it though! I have the rest of the story planned out. Stay tuned! **


	29. Dice

**Chapter Twenty-Nine – Dice**

_Nothing can compare  
To when you roll the dice  
And you swear your love's for me_

One day. That's how long it had been since Caroline took the huge leap and said I love you to Klaus and he had responded by kissing her and pulling her into the bedroom where he _showed_ her how he felt more times than she could count. Their Christmas together was perfect and surrounded by Stefan and his siblings was the first time she had not felt completely alone since her mother had died. It should have been enough. She told herself over and over again that it was enough. That he did not have to say it back for her to mean it. He had not run for the hills when she said those three little words and that was more than she could have hoped for. She knew he cared for her. He had gone as far as to say those words out loud the day before, but something told her 'I love you' was still just a little far from his reach. She didn't want him to say it if he didn't mean it, but she still wanted to hear it. As much as she told herself she did not need those words, she did, but she could wait.

He had once told her he would wait centuries for her and she would be quite the hypocrite if she couldn't wait for him. Despite all of her insecurities, she knew he cared because he did show her. With all of her previous boyfriends, she knew it could be over at any moment. When they got bored, when they found something better, when they found out her secrets, she always knew they had expiration dates, but she didn't feel that way with Klaus. She knew that had to mean something even if she was not sure where she was going, she knew he would be there.

"Caroline?" A voice pulled her from her inner musings as she walked down the street towards the Mystic Grill. Her craving for French Fries was outweighing her cravings for blood at the moment so it seemed like the logical place to go and Stefan had agreed to meet her. The voice how ever did not belong to Stefan, but instead Tyler Lockwood. She had already grown tired of his 'why are you with Klaus' speeches, but it only took her a minute to smell the booze on his breath and notice the unsteadiness of his steps.

"Are you drunk?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as his shoulder hit the wall of the nearest building, using it as a steadying force. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Well, hello to you too," he responded as she rather abruptly pulled him over to one of the benches across the street in the town square. She sat him down on the cold wood and buttoned her jacket a bit higher, rolling her eyes as he pulled the flask out of his jacket and took another swig.

"No," she said, taking it out of his hands. "You are the mayor's son, you cannot be this drunk in public, hybrid or not and where the hell did you get a flask? Last time I checked you were not Damon Salvatore or F. Scott Fitzgerald." She dumped the rest of the amber liquid out into the snow, ignoring Tyler's protests, before handing it back to him. "There is a new town Sheriff and even if we've known him our whole life, I doubt the teen drinking thing would be a high point with him. Now what is going on? Why are you drunk at.." She pulled back the sleeve of her jacket to check her watch, "…eight at night on a Tuesday?"

"I broke up with Hayley," he said, leaning back against the bench.

"Good. She was a classless, were-slut," Caroline said off handedly as she typed out a text message to Stefan, letting him know she was across the street and would be a few minutes late. "That still doesn't explain why you are drinking. If you broke up with her then you should be happy unless you broke up with her because she was sleeping with one of your other hybrid buddies. If that's the case then I can't say I feel very sorry for you or her because if kind of serves you right." She sighed before looking over at Tyler and seeing the disheartened look on his face. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, what exactly happened?"

"I chose the wrong girl," he said simply. "It wasn't fair to Hayley to keep wasting her time when I'm still so in love with you."

"Tyler, I'm not-"

"And I'm not asking you to be. You are over me, you moved on and I'm not asking you to be anything. I know that ship has sailed, but that doesn't mean I didn't make a mistake. I'm not going to give you an 'I'm the better choice' speech, because I don't really know if that's true anymore. I don't know much of anything at the moment, but I know I could use a friend. I could use my best friend right now because I don't know what to do."

Caroline sighed, running her fingers through her blonde curls. She didn't know what to say. There was a lot hanging in the air between them and regardless of how moved on Caroline was, she knew that he wasn't moved on in the least. She ran her hand over her face before looking over at him. "Tyler, I love him and I know that doesn't make sense to you and it's probably hard for you to understand, but it's true and I don't know how to be your best friend right now, because I'm the reason you are feeling this way." She shook her head, setting her hands on his shoulders to make him look at her even in his inebriated state. "You are going to get over me. I don't know when that will happen, but I do hope for your sake it's soon. You will though and you will meet someone that's perfect for you, but she won't be me. It's going to be okay."

"How do you do that, Care? How can you stay so hopeful about anything and everything?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Because the alternative sucks." She gave a small smile. "I have to go meet Stefan. It's going to be okay, Tyler. Go home, take a shower, sleep this off." She nodded once before letting him go and made her way towards the grill.

"So was that step one to reconciliation?" Hayley asked as she ran into Caroline in the entrance of the grill.

Caroline rolled her eyes, taking a breath so she did not rip Hayley's head off in front of a restaurant full of people, "I don't even have time to deal with you right now. Why don't you go back to whatever hole you crawled out of? I'm sure the rest of your pack-sluts miss you." She breezed past Hayley and over to the bar where Stefan was sitting, a basket of fries already waiting in the open seat next to him.

"What was that all about?" Stefan asked, watching a fuming Hayley leave the grill.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin with that." Caroline shook her head, popping one of the French fries into her mouth. "Tyler and Hayley broke up. I'm guessing Hayley blames me. Tyler wants his best friend back, but he's still in love with me so that's not really possible without infuriating Klaus, rightly so, and I'm still mad at Tyler in some way so I don't know what to do with all of that and on top of it all I told Klaus I loved him and he didn't say it back so I think I'm going to need something strong with my French fries."

"Bourbon, two, neat," Stefan told the bartender. "You told Klaus you loved him?" he asked, clearly in shock.

"I know! I didn't mean for it to just come out, but he didn't say anything, literally, for the rest of the night. Granted his lips were a little busy, but I don't know what that means or if it means anything. Then the next morning we can home and he's been acting like everything is perfectly normal and I'm _trying_ to act like everything is normal, but do you know how bad I am at acting like everything is fine when I'm freaking out inside? It's like a bull in a china shop, I can't do this Stefan."

"If he's acting normal then he's not mad, that's something at least." He reached over and stole one of her French fries.

"In what world is anger an appropriate reaction to someone telling you they love you? That never crossed my mind. I think he just clearly does not feel the same way and he was trying to get me to stop talking. Why do I do this, Stefan? Why am I the one who always screws things up? I just wish for once, I could say the right thing at the right time and have the outcome I want. I really think I deserve to be dealt a better hand because I can't work with what I was given. I mean I don't want him to say it if he doesn't feel that way. That would be the worst. I'm okay with it, I really am."

"Caroline.."

"And I mean, how could I be so stupid as to say I love you first? What girl says I love you first? That's basically asking to get hurt. I asked for it."

"Caroline," he stopped her once again, sliding the double shot in front of her. "Take the drink and take a breath." He instructed, watching her pick up the shot glass and drink the liquid in one shot.

"Now what?"

"Calm down," he said. "You are completely overreacting."

"He didn't respond."

"And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, he didn't react the way you wanted him to, but he also didn't react negatively. He didn't kill you or leave you in the woods or do anything bad. It's not the end of the world."

"Have you ever done that? Said I love you and had it not returned? It's humiliating."

"I thought you said you were okay with it?" Stefan ordered another drink for her. She looked like she could need it to calm her nerves.

"I'm trying to be okay with it and I know you're right, it could be worse, but that doesn't mean I'm not sitting here worrying about it. I said I love you and he didn't say it back. That has to mean something."

"You are just talking in circles, Caroline." He set the new shot in front of her. "Drink."

She did as she was told, picking up the drink in front of her and shooting it back in one shot. She didn't even bother to make the obligatory face she usually made when she took shots of hard liquor, but it did not faze her today. "Alright, so let's not talk in circles, let's talk about something else. Distract me. I could you use it."

"Bonnie found the last sword. It's in Paris, but she doesn't know any more than that. I haven't told he-who-must-not-be-named yet, but I'm guessing he will want to leave soon."

"He's not Voldemort. He's my boyfriend or manfriend or whatever you call the thousand year old hybrid I am in love with, but is not in love with me." She stopped rambling when she realized Stefan was trying very hard not to laugh at her. "Go ahead, laugh it up."

"Caroline, just relax. You are blowing this way out of proportion." Stefan shook his head, stealing another one of her untouched French Fries and taking a bite. "Now, Paris. I'm sure you will want to go."

"It's one of the places Klaus promised to take me, he's following through on that one, even if he's not in love with-"

"Caroline," he said, stopping her from finishing that sentence. "I will talk to him and make the arrangements. You need to watch some horrible movies and cry or binge out on ice cream or whatever it is that you girls do when you need to complain about men. Call Rebekah, I'm sure she would love to complain about her brother with you for a few hours. Go shopping. I don't know, but you sitting here obsessing over it isn't going to do you any good."

She glared at him for a moment for reprimanding her before her gaze softened when the trueness of his words began to ring through. It was girl time she needed. Without Elena and Bonnie in her life and her rocky-at-best, tentative friendship with Rebekah, she had been seriously lacking in the girlfriend department. Stefan's company could only take her so far. She needed chick-flicks and she needed them now. "Fine," she conceded, "but I'm taking these with me." She picked up the basket of fries before heading towards the door.

"I don't think you are supposed to take the baskets," Matt tried to stop her.

"Emergency," she called out before heading out the door. Matt looked to Stefan for an explanation, but he held his hands up innocently before pulling out his cell phone and sending a text to Klaus.

Within an hour, Stefan found Caroline's seat at the bar occupied by the original hybrid. He had been enjoying the solitude of drinking alone without interruption or distraction, but he knew his bubble would be burst in a matter of time. He never did get peace and quiet for very long. Klaus sat down wordlessly and it took a few minutes for Stefan to decide to pierce the silence. He knew better than to say anything about his relationship with Caroline and Caroline's concerns about their relationship. That was between them, whether Caroline was overreacting or not. It was still hard her him to wrap his head around the relationship to begin with, getting in the middle of it seemed like a terrible idea. "I spoke to Bonnie this morning. That last sword is in Paris."

"Well, that seems fitting," Klaus said without missing a beat.

"How is that?" Stefan asked, rolling the liquid around in his glass.

"One road begins where another ends," he said vaguely almost whimsically – or as close to whimsical as Klaus ever got – but his entire demeanor changed a moment later. "But we still have that pesky hunter problem to deal with. Never quite seem to escape them. He's still lurking somewhere in Mystic Falls, I'm sure. He has not been able to annihilated our race yet so his mission isn't quite over with."

"Shouldn't we be more vigilant then? He'll make a move sooner or later."

"Yes, but I don't think we have much to worry about at the moment. He's laying low for the time being. A smart and strategic move on his part, but it's still a rather text book move. He'll make his play and it will be big, but we will see it coming," Klaus said with certainty. "In any event, I still have hybrids keeping an eye on the mansion and Caroline's home, though I'm hoping I can persuade her to stay in the confines of the mansion until this hunter business is taken care of."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out."

"It is in my best interest to stay on top of everything."

Stefan cocked his head to the side, but didn't say anything. "I'm going to do some research on the sword. See if I can find anything about it's location in Paris. I doubt anything will come of it, but maybe we'll get lucky."

"Doubtful, but keep me informed. I'll make the travel arrangements after I square things away with Kol," he spoke, annoyed that his brother had not bothered to show up on time to the drink that he had insisted Klaus get with him.

"Still causing you trouble?"

"Quite the opposite actually, which I've come to understand means he's up to something he's hiding better than normal. No matter, I'm sure I'll get to the bottom of it soon enough. If not there's always an alternative." He gave a small shrug of his shoulders, accompanied by a smirk as the bartender set his drink of choice, scotch neat, in front of him.

"Well, good luck with that." Stefan nodded, leaving enough money on the bar to pay for his drink before stepping off of the barstool.

Both boys looked up from what they were doing when the door of the Grill swung open once again. The door opened and closed often, but the sheer force in which the door opened drew their attention. Klaus's jaw set as he watched Tyler Lockwood do a lap around the bar, looking for someone before setting sights on Klaus and making his way over to him.

"Do you know where Caroline is?" Tyler asked.

"Why on earth would I tell you that?" Klaus asked, tilting his head. His first hybrid's sense of entitlement was always a source of annoyance for Klaus. He was always tempted to separate the boy's heart from his body whenever he opened his mouth, but something told him that would not go over well with Caroline. He was always pushing Klaus's limits and he knew that one day he would snap.

"Just tell me she's not by herself?" Tyler asked, his own expression hardening at Klaus's lack of helpfulness.

"She's home alone," Stefan said, his eyebrow raised as Tyler's sense of urgency peaked his interest.

"What are you getting at Tyler?" Klaus narrowed his eyes, mentally deciding how to kill Tyler without causing a scene if he had the audacity to ask Klaus where Caroline was simply to talk to her. He was growing tired of Tyler's 'talks' with Caroline, each of them seemed to revolve around all of the reasons why he wasn't good for her. While Klaus did not disagree with that point, he was probably the worst thing that had ever happened to Caroline, she had made her choice and while he still did not understand it, he did respect it and she had chosen him.

"She pissed off Hayley earlier. Hayley didn't chain let me chain her up in the barn like we normally do-"

"I have no interest in hearing about your love life," Klaus said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It's the full moon, jackass. Caroline got into it with Hayley then Hayley disappeared. She's going to shift soon and if she isn't chained up and she's angry with Caroline where do you think the first place she's going to go is?" Tyler practically growled.

**Author's Note: Hi! I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Please review!**


	30. For the Nights I Can't Remember

**Chapter Thirty – For the Nights I Can't Remember**

_Me, I'm used to being tired and bloody  
But you believed that I could be somebody  
You put your world on hold for me  
Gave away to follow failure through the fire  
I need you to know I will  
Believe me, I'm so tired of running.  
So I can and I will  
And you'll see your hero come running  
Over and over tonight_

Klaus was off the bar stool before Tyler even had a chance to finish his thought. No one even saw him exit the bar, leaving only a swinging door in his wake along with many confused patrons. He could not think about common decency. What humans could expect to see or comprehend. Stefan could deal with any mess he left in his wake. He could not be bothered to think about anything outside of Caroline at that moment. His mind raced with possibilities. Was she at her own home? His home? Had the wolf already shifted? A bite he could fix. A lot of things he could fix, but he knew what wolves were capable of. He had first hand experience in that department and it was lethal. Supernatural strength. Bone breaking jaw. It wasn't just the bite he was afraid would be inflicted upon Caroline. Hayley could have her torn apart before he even got there. His shoes pounded against the pavement as he rounded the porch into Caroline's house less than a minute after leaving the grill. The room was in complete disarray. Furniture over turned and pictures were knocked off the walls. It was clear there had been a struggle and it did not take long for Klaus to find what he was looking for. Caroline was pressed to the kitchen floor with a dark brown wolf growling in her face.

Hayley. Caroline was actually holding her own quite well against the snapping teeth and menacing stance of the wolf lingering above her. Her hands were buried in the wolf's fur, gripping it tightly as she tried to push her away from the already bleeding wound on her shoulder. As her teeth grew closer, Caroline sucked in one last breath before pushing her away with all of the force she could muster, sending Hayley into the adjacent wall. It was a good move, but the bite had slowed Caroline and Hayley was back on her feet and headed towards Caroline before she could even react. Klaus stepped in quickly, wrapping an arm around Hayley's neck and dragging her away from Caroline with ease.

Caroline scampered back against the kitchen counter watching as the rest of the scene unfolded in front of her. Hayley whined and whimpered as Klaus shifted his arm against her neck, pressing it against the wall as she tried to kick and scratch and swat at him to get down. It would have been comical, watching her whimper and try to tug on heart strings he didn't have. If she had been in her normal, human form, she would have been pleading for her life, but it would not have mattered. Klaus's face was set, the only emotion flashing across it was anger, no empathy to be found. He had none. Not for her at least. He could be a lot of things. Charming and charismatic when it suited him, a master of death. He could even be sweet when Caroline was the only person around to reap the benefits, but in that moment everything else fell to the wayside. He was normally more creative when it came to his victim's fates, especially someone who deserved so much worse than a quick death, but his hand was posed to plunge through the wall of Hayley's chest before he could stop himself. All he saw was red and he was relishing in it.

"Don't," Caroline finally croaked out, breaking his trance before he could withdraw his hand with his prize. Hayley's heart.

"She tried to kill you, I doubt you can find a reason that would keep her alive," he stated emotionlessly, never turning to look at her.

"She's still a person," Caroline said softly, hoping to calm him down. She was angry and in pain, but that still did not justify ending someone's life in her book, though the fact that it was Hayley did cause her judgment to waver if only momentarily. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, she heard the last whimper that would ever come from Hayley. Her body dropped, shifting back to her human form before she even hit the ground. Klaus turned to face her, his right hand red and dripping with blood as he gripped the heart.

"Not good enough," he said, letting it drop to the ground next to her body as he stepped over her towards the spot where she was seated on the ground. He was still fuming, the death had not been gratifying enough, too quick to release the anger that had built, but Caroline was not it's intended target. His hand reached down to cradle her waist, lifting her up without touching the wound as he set her on the kitchen counter to examine it. She winced as he peeled the blood soaked fabric back from her shoulder, looking at the nasty bite Hayley had delivered. It was clear that Hayley's only intent was to cause as much damage as possible. Caroline's skin was torn and ripped, oozing blood and the skin around was hot to the touch. The whimpers in pain she made each time he got near it only made him more angry at no one in particular. He could tell by the look on her face she was in shock, but she needed blood to heal so be bated her. Sinking his fangs into his own wrist before posing it in front of her lips, he tempted her into drinking her salvation and soon enough her lips were wrapped around his skin. The feeling did quell his anger a bit. Simply knowing she was safe seemed to do the trick.

Caroline finally managed to pull her lips away from his wrist, her tongue darting out to catch the drop that threatened to run from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes fell on Hayley's crumbled body on the ground and sighed. She was torn between relief and frustration, but neither could break through her shock at what had just occurred in the last fifteen minutes. He watched as the wound on her shoulder began to heal before pressing his lips to her forehead. She felt small sitting on the counter in front of him, like a child with a bloody knee.

Stefan and Tyler walked into the room a few minutes later, both stopping dead in their tracks as they took in the sight before them. Klaus noticed their presence between Caroline did, abruptly letting her go and marching over to the two of them. She looked right at Stefan, "Take care of her, don't let anything else happen to her," he practically growled before turning his attention to Tyler, "Get _her_ out of here. I don't care what you do with her, but you are lucky I'm not letting you join her on the other side. You can thank Caroline's hometown loyalty for that. I'm going to go find out where the hell my bloody hybrids are and why they weren't here making sure the little bitch could get in here in the first place." He was gone a moment later, leaving the three of them in the room with Hayley's body. Tyler was somber as he walked over to the body of his ex-girlfriend and looked down at her, trying to figure out what to do. Body disposal had never been a skill of his.

"Caroline, why don't we go upstairs so you can change?" Stefan asked slowly. He could see the dazed expression on her face, noting that she had clearly not let what just occurred fully settle in. He stepped over Hayley's heart and helped Caroline off the counter, leading her up the stairs. "Why don't you pack a few things? I think we're going to stay at the mansion tonight. With the hunter and everything, I don't think the two of us should be here alone. We're better off with Rebekah and Klaus."

Caroline's head popped up at the mention of Klaus's name, breaking free of the shock that had been consuming her up until now. "I need to find him," she said, sitting down on her bed and pulling on a pair of boots.

"He can handle himself, Caroline. We need to get you to the mansion. I already sent a message to Rebekah, she's waiting for us. It's a full moon. Hayley isn't the only werewolf around," he pointed out, looking over at her as she shook her head.

"No. I need to find him. Something's not right here, I can just feel it," she said, tugging her jacket on. She was out the door once again before Stefan could stop her.

Caroline still felt weak from the bite, she could have used a blood bag, but she couldn't stop to think about it. She had a bad feeling. Everything felt wrong, like something was off. She checked everywhere she could think of for him, the grill, the mansion, various other places around town before winding up in the last place she should have been on the full moon. She walked through the woods, trying to be vigilant with her surroundings. Part of her wanted to call out to him but she knew if there was anything in the woods that she did not want to run into, calling out to him would be a very bad idea.

As the winter wind picked up, Caroline picked up on something different in the air, Klaus and blood. A fresh surge of panic ran through her as she took off towards the direction of the scent. She stopped short as she found herself at the entrance of the Lockwood Cellar, where three bodies where already laying outside the steps, one on the way up. They were all hybrids, ones she recognized, ones who had once stood guard outside her house, but now laid dead in unnatural patterns. She could feel the fear building in her as she stepped over one, horrified with the ease in which she performed the simple action before taking a step down the stairs. It was probably a horrible idea, but the scent of Klaus grew stronger with each step and she had to see him.

"Klaus," she squeaked out as she saw him standing in the middle of the cellar covered in blood. It only took her a moment to realize it wasn't his blood. That blood belonged to the other hybrids, those whose bodies were scattered around the room in varying states of disarray. Some were headless, some heartless, some torn limb from limb. Klaus turned towards her. Visibly shaken by her presence or what he had just done, there was no way to tell for sure. "Did you kill them all?" she asked, her voice trembling as she took a step towards him. His silence answered for him as she took another step towards him.

"All I wanted.." he started shakily, dropping the heart that was still in his hand. It hit the ground and rolled towards what could have been its previous owner but there was no way to tell for sure. "All I wanted was loyalty. People like me. People who understood what it was like to be different."

"What happened?" Caroline asked, soft yet firmly. She needed to get him focused on an answer so she knew what to do.

"Unsired. Every last one of them. Thanks to Hayley. This was all a trick. A trick to get to me through you. Pay back for everything I gave them. They were hybrids, immortal because of me!" He picked up the heart and slammed it against the wall of the cellar. Caroline jumped a little as the organ practically exploded against the wall upon impact. "I gave them everything. It was a gift!"

"You killed them all.." Caroline said, looking around at the carnage. She was not sure what to say. The part of her that still clung to humanity screamed at her to be angry at the loss of life. To be angry for the people who had sought freedom from Klaus and ended up dead because of it, but the part of her the rest of her thought differently. Her blood heated with anger at the mere thought of someone trying to hurt Klaus.

"They were trying to hurt you!" he screamed, his face contorting with anger, though it was not directed at her, but instead at the bodies of his fallen hybrids. "I would kill a thousand people if they tried to hurt you. I love you. I can't lose you! I lose everyone!" He cursed, gripping her arms as the angry tears built in his eyes. He looked around at the disaster of his own making. This was his life. He built his army and it fell at his own hand. His world always crashed and burned. He could not escape the cycle no matter how hard he tried. This was the world he lived in.

"You aren't going to lose me!" Caroline interjected over his yelling. She took his hands off of her shoulder before bringing her hands cupped his cheeks, thumbs wiping away the blood spatter and stray tears. "I told you at the house, I love you, I am in love with you. The good, the bad, all of it. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. You aren't going to lose me. I'm going to be here, by your side, through whatever happens. Disloyal hybrids, no hybrids, no friends, no family, whatever happens, you have me and I have you and that is what we need." She could feel the tears welling up in her own eyes. "Okay?" she asked, almost fearful of the answer. She needed him to be okay.

He didn't speak. He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before finally nodding and letting his head drop to her shoulder, burying his face in the crook of her neck as his arms wrapped around her, clinging to her like his life depended on it. When his world inevitably came crashing down once again, he would still have her.

Caroline stood there in silence, her fingers running over his back for a long time. Letting him hold her close, feel that she was real. It was not until her phone vibrated in her pocket, that they were both reminded that there was a world outside of that cave. "Let's go home," she said quietly. She threaded her fingers with his before leading him out of the cave.

"It's about time the two of your graced us with your presence. I was actually beginning the inklings of what may have been concern," Rebekah said as she rounded the corner into the entry room in time to see Caroline and Klaus walk in. She took one look at Klaus's blood cover appearance and shot Caroline a look which demanded an explanation. The blonde simply shook her head. Now was not the time. She could talk to Rebekah later, right now, Klaus was her only concern.

Once they reached the bathroom attached to Klaus's bedroom, she turned on the shower before pulling the blood soaked Henley over his head and depositing it on the floor. Her hands moved to his jeans, making quick work of them and pushing them down along with his boxer briefs before she began to work on her own clothes. Her torn shirt fell to the floor with his, quickly joined with her jeans, bra, and panties before she led him into the shower. She picked up the soap and went to work cleaning the blood off of him, carefully contouring to the curves of his muscles. Caroline watched as the soap and blood mixed together and swirled down the drain. The carnage and the cleansing force, a metaphor if she had ever seen one.

She was beginning to wonder if he would ever snap out of this near catatonic state when his hand reached up and brushed over the spot on her shoulder where Hayley had delivered her bite. His fingers traced tenderly over the healing skin, before settling on her neck and drawing her closer. She wasn't surprised as his lips let hers. She had come to identify his kisses, varying depending on his mood. Sometimes he was forceful and took her against the nearest surface, sometimes he teased and drew out her pleasure, making her beg for him to give her the release she was chasing, but this was different. The kiss was needful, but not rushed. He searched answers and comfort and whatever she could offer him with the kiss. Like a lost man searching for the only home he had ever known, his hands moved to her body and pressed her flush against him.

Caroline wrapped her arms him, pulling him closer as she leaned against the wall. His hands glided down her sides, before cupping her bottom and lifting her up against him. Her lips never left his, nor did a moan escape them as he guided himself inside her. It wasn't the release they were after, but instead the connection. His lips moved down her neck, brushing against her skin and nipping at her pulse point as his hips rocked against hers. A slow and steady pattern of thrusts that caused Caroline's breath to become heavy along with his own. His arm wrapped around her lower back and brought her higher, finding a new angle as he guided her hips back down to his. His other hand found her hair, tangling in the wet, blonde curls as he found her lips once again, his tongue invading her mouth, claiming every inch as his own.

She broke the kiss as she grew closer, her forehead resting against his as their eyes met. Gasping for unnecessary air, her body began to tighten around his, gripping him and pulling him deeper with each contraction of muscles. "Klaus," she whimpered, her eyes not leaving his as he slowed his thrusts, filling her to the hilt with each move before he fell over the edge with her. Slowly, she unwrapped her legs from his waist and he let her down, before they both reached to turn off the water and wrapped themselves in towels. She knew that Rebekah and Stefan and God only knew who else was downstairs waiting for an explanation, but she could not be bothered with it right now. She could only think about burying herself in Klaus's arms and the thick covers of the bed.

**Author's Note: I'm not making any promises, but I'm determined to get back on an every other day posting schedule to finish this thing out. I also wanted to point out that this is not the 12 hybrid sacrifice, the Silas/Shane storyline is not part of the fic, but there is more than meets the eye. I just wanted to take a beat to thank you all for reading my story and reviewing each chapter. You guys are awesome and I'm thankful for each and every one of you. Please keep reviewing and reading. **


	31. Come Around

**Chapter Thirty-One – Come Around**

_Like sunlight won't you come  
Lay your ray down, you're the one  
I could run, I could run for the life of me  
But where would that get me?  
Where would that lead?  
I'm a fool for waiting so long  
Come around come around come around to me  
You feel like breathing_

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Stefan asked Caroline as he followed her and Klaus down the mansion hallway. He wasn't sure how he felt about this plan, but he knew there was no way of talking her out of it, especially when both Klaus and Rebekah had already agreed to it.

"Yes, it's the only way. We don't have time to do things with Jeremy. We have to get the other Hunter. This is the only way," Caroline said, glancing over Klaus's shoulder at Stefan. He had never been one for public displays of affection, but since the hybrid incident, he rarely let her out of his sight. His arm curled protectively around her shoulders, keeping her close to his side. "I'm not denying that it's going to be awkward, but it's got to be done. It'll be fun if you let it." She smiled as Klaus opened the door to the study and every eye in the room trained on them. Rebekah quickly joined Caroline by the doors as Klaus and Stefan moved to the side. This was their idea. He was going to let them run with it. As the two of them took the front of the room all eyes trained on them. Tyler and Matt sat awkwardly in the large arm chairs across from the two women. Kol, Klaus, and Stefan were seated on the opposite couch as Elijah leaned against the back of it.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked skeptically, her arms crossed over her chest as she sat on the arm of the leather sofa that Elena, Jeremy, and Damon were seated on.

"Yeah, Blondie…and Barbie," Damon's eyebrows rose and lowered as he looked from one to the other, mentally deciding which one was which in this situation before shaking it away, "Start explaining. Something about the Hunter."

"I didn't do anything," Jeremy said aggravated. It was clear he was physically uncomfortable being in a room with so many vampires. It did not matter how much he tried to get used to being around them, it was still a struggle for him not to lunge for the nearest wooden object.

"The other Hunter, Mini-Gibert," Damon said, shooting him a frustrated look.

"If you all would shut up for more than a moment, we could explain," Rebekah said, pinching the bridge of her nose. She could not deal with this group, these children, she was a thousand years old for God's sake. Most days she wondered how she was expected to get along with the lot of them. She cared about Stefan and while her excuse with Caroline was that her brother cared about her, she had to admit the blonde was growing on her. The rest of them could leave for all she cared, but Caroline had insisted that they needed everyone for this to work. So Rebekah kept her mouth shut and refrained from saying anything about the lot of them.

As the chatter continued, Caroline grew frustrated and brought her fingers to her lips, letting out a loud whistle like she often had to at cheerleading practice. Everyone's attention fell on her and she pretended not to notice the smirk that formed on Klaus's lips when she commanded the room. "Thank you." She nodded as everyone looked at her, "Now, I know you are wondering why you are here, so just shut up and I will explain everything," she said calmly. "I know you all know that the hunter – not Jeremy – is still on the loose. Aside from Jeremy and Matt and maybe Bonnie, this poses a threat to all of us. That means it's in all of our best interests to catch him. Since you all know about the cure, you also know that the Hunter's mark is the map to the cure. So unless we want Jeremy to go rouge and kill enough vampires to finish his mark, we also need the hunter for that. So you can see why this is important. Now, he's obviously not going to come when called and I doubt he will just be hanging out around town for us to capture in the wind. We have to be smarter than that."

"And we happen to be smarter than that," Rebekah cut in.

"Yes, which is why we're having another ball on New Year's Eve. Here at the mansion and you all will be attend. I don't care about your spotty attendance records at town events. We need everyone for this to work," Caroline pointed out happily.

"The hunter wants to kill vampires and there will be a large concentration of them in one place. He won't be able to resist. Not to mention he wants his sword back and this gets him into the mansion to snoop around," Rebekah added.

"And that's why we need all of you. We need to be able to overpower him without killing him and without causing a scene. That's why this is so important. We need all the eyes and ears. We'll stay in small groups or pairs. NO ONE goes off alone," she said, her eyes falling on Damon and Elena before flicking back to the group. "This is important. It's life or death and I'm not just being dramatic."

"I would ask if you were in, but I'm not giving you all a choice." Rebekah stood on the side wearing a smirk.

"What happened to the plan with the swords?" Bonnie asked, crossing her arms.

"We still have to get the last one; we're going to go retrieve it after New Year's Eve. I have not forgotten. We just need to secure the Hunter first. The swords won't do much good without the map," Klaus pointed out before sitting back in his chair once again.

"Is this going to be another formal thing?" Matt grumbled before mumbling something under his breath about getting a tux.

"Yes, and I will get you a tux. You are coming," Caroline said firmly.

"So you want me to capture another hunter?" Jeremy asked incredulously. "That has to be against some kind of code. I can't turn against my own kind like that."

"Either that or let him stalk around town and pick us off one by one. Your choice," Damon glanced over at him.

"You do want us to fix Elena, right, Jeremy? Or would you like to spend the rest of your life wanting to kill her?" Stefan asked.

"For the last time, I do not need to be fixed!" Elena huffed before leaving the room. Damon stood to leave after her, but Stefan caught his arm.

"Just make sure she comes. We need everyone," Stefan told his brother.

"I know." Damon nodded before following Elena out the door.

"It's a party. Why do you all act like it's a funeral?" Kol asked, dropping down in the spot on the couch next to Jeremy. "We went to quite a few parties in Denver, if I recall."

"The ones you dragged me to?" Jeremy responded less than thrilled.

"Dragged, took, it all means the same thing," Kol waved his hand dismissively.

"I don't want to reminisce over our fake friendship and I still want to know what happened to my dog," Jeremy complained before standing from the couch and walking out the door after Damon and Elena. Klaus and Stefan looked at Kol like he had lost it for a moment and it was Elijah who broke the tension with a hearty chuckle.

"You two are going to judge him with your homoerotic subtext about Chicago?" he questioned, earning a chuckle from Caroline and a glare from Rebekah.

"I'll have you know I was the only original Stefan was bedding in the 20s or ever for that matter," she said, crossing her arms.

"Relax, sweetheart, no one is going to drag your lover from your bed. At least not while Caroline is occupying Klaus," Kol said with another smirk, watching the two of them.

"I'm not keeping you out of the coffin, Kol," Caroline warned, looking down at him before walking over to join Stefan and Klaus on the other couch. She sat down between the two of them, under the seat where Elijah leaned against the back of the leather seat. "You are on your own."

"I have to go to work. Just tell me what time to be there, Care," Matt said, looking over at Caroline as he pushed away from his spot on the wall. Bonnie was quick to make a similar excuse and head out the door right behind him as Caroline leaned into Klaus's side.

"Well, you all certainly know how to kill a party quickly," Katherine said, stepping aside as Matt and Bonnie all but scurried out the door. The seven remaining occupants of the room, looked up in time to see her walk into the den, one heeled step in front of the other.

"Katerina, what are you doing here? I thought you were staying in Tahiti?" Elijah questioned, disengaging himself from the back of the house and straightening his suit. Caroline likened his expressing for a man who had just been caught coming home with lipstick on his collar, though she doubted Elijah would _ever_ allow lipstick near his collar, even if it was Katherine's.

"I grew bored sitting around waiting for you to come back without any details of what was going on. So I got on a plane and it sounds like I got here just in time. I like parties," she said.

"I think that's my cue," Tyler said, standing up and heading towards the door. He had been disengaged through most of the conversation. No one could blame him. It had been a rough few days for him between Hayley's death and that of the hybrids. All he really wanted was to go home, but Klaus caught him with an iron grip on his arm. He was already nervous about being in a room with all of the originals, Klaus holding him back was the last thing he needed.

"Don't think I've forgotten about the unsiring, I know that you started this whole craze," he growled through gritted teeth. "Just remember that you are still standing because I'm allowing you to be standing." He released Tyler's arm with disgust before the younger hybrid bolted out the door.

"So what are we up to?" Katherine asked, dropping down onto the couch in Klaus's now empty seat. Caroline stood up almost immediately, not caring for the proximity to her murderer.

"We were just leaving," Caroline said, grabbing Rebekah's arm and heading out the door. "Lot's to do, not a lot of time." She called out over her shoulder before she and Rebekah made their way out of the house.

Klaus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he looked down at Kol, Katherine, and Elijah. He didn't know how he was expected to babysit both Kol and Katherine and keep things from ending badly. He could put Kol in a box, he doubted that Elijah would react well to him putting Katherine in one. "I don't know why you insisted on being here, but I have things to do and I suggest you do not complicate them. This is already going to be a difficult endeavor. While we could use the extra man power according to Caroline, I do not share that opinion, nor do I want to babysit. I'll be in my study," he grumbled standing up from the couch and heading into the other room.

"So touchy. I've been in Mystic Falls less than an hour and I've already sent the masses scattering, clearly I have not lost my touch. Good to know." She smirked before standing up and grabbing Elijah's hand, pulling him towards the stairs with her. "You'll have to show me which bedroom is yours."

| With or Without You |

"Of all the girls in all of the centuries, he had to take up with her. _Again_. There's an entire world of women, women who would probably throw themselves at his feet, but no. It's the doppelganger. It's always a bloody doppelganger. I don't understand what's so interesting about them. They aren't pretty. Average at best if you ask me, but all of these men are enamored with them. It doesn't matter if they are completely insane or have the personality of a pincushion in Elena's case. At least Katerina was interesting, now she's just mad," Rebekah complained from behind the driver's seat of what Caroline could only assume was a compelled Porsche. She had never stopped to think about where the originals money came from. It would be simple enough for them to compel whatever they needed, but they had also had a thousand years to amass a fortune. Rebekah, however, was one sharp turn away from throwing a few hundred thousand dollars away, whether it was compelled or not. If Caroline wasn't a vampire, she would have been terrified of the way the other blonde was driving, even still it made her a bit nervous and sent her hand gripping the door handle. "You are lucky, Caroline. Nik only fell for that trick once. The spell was broken after Tatia. Another useless woman. I will never understand the fascination. Stefan has fallen for two of them now. How am I supposed to feel about that?"

Caroline raised an eyebrow, temporarily letting go of the handle her knuckles were turning white around as she turned to look over at Rebekah. It did not take long for it to sink in that Rebekah was jealous and a little worried. Whether they labeled it or not, Caroline knew what Rebekah and Stefan had was real and had breached into committed a while ago. It was bad enough for Rebekah to see Elena around, Katherine being in the house with them was even worse. "You have nothing to worry about. Stefan hates Katherine and Elena is all about Damon. Stefan is all about you."

"That doesn't mean I want her with my brother. There is no way to win in that situation. Best case scenario, she breaks my brother's heart _again_ and leaves us to pick up the pieces, worst case scenario, they stay together and I am forced to deal with her for the rest of eternity. Neither of those sound like happy solutions." She took a sharp turn off of the freeway and towards DC.

"I'm not saying it doesn't suck. I wasn't exactly thrilled when Stefan started up with you again," she put her hand up, "Don't even try to deny it, you were sitting on his lap this morning. I'm not an idiot, neither is your brother. My point is, I got over it. I'm not saying you'll get over Katherine being around, you never have to like it, but you do things for the people you care about because you care about them. So while I am not thrilled with the prospect of staying in the same house as Katherine, I will suck it up because I know Klaus wants his brother there and Elijah and Katherine are a package deal."

Rebekah studied her for a moment, Caroline wasn't sure if she was contemplating killing her or thinking. Neither option seemed safe. "Fine, but I'm not going to be a bridesmaid or anything."

"I don't think they are getting married," Caroline chuckled as they pulled into a parking spot along one of the side streets where several high end shops were located.

"So why is it that you hate Katherine so much? It seems like there is more to it than Katherine being her usual charming self. You practically dragged me out of the house when she walked in."

Caroline stepped out of the car, her purse hanging on her fingertips in front of her as she looked over at Rebekah. "Well, for one, she turned me."

"I thought Damon was your sire?"

"Technically yes, but he never intended to turn me. I was in a car accident with Tyler and Matt. Pretty bad one. I was going to die, so Damon gave me some blood because Bonnie asked him to and I started to get better. Then Katherine came into the hospital the next night and smothered me with a pillow. I didn't exactly know it was Katherine at the time because no one tells me anything and I thought Elena killed me. I didn't know vampires existed either. It was a very strange night for me." She wrinkled her nose, following Rebekah into the first store front. "Then Damon tried to stake me and Stefan promised he wouldn't let anyone hurt me and the rest is history. He was my vampire professor if you will." She laughed, looking at the racks of dresses, trying to decide what kind of dress she would like before she began.

"Well, I don't believe many people stay friends with their murderers so I think you are okay." She pointed out, picking up a sleek, silver Marchesa dress.

"No," Caroline said, lifting the dress from her hands. "It'll wash you out. Try…" she tapered off looking around until she found the perfect dress. She picked a teal, lace Dolce & Gabbana, "This one." She handed it to her before Rebekah retreated into the dressing room. Caroline looked for herself a bit longer before finding the perfect dress. It was deep red, silk-taffeta by Zac Posen. She didn't even need to try it on to know it was perfect. She was almost sad knowing it would most likely end up torn in a pile on the floor at the end of the evening, but it was a risk she was willing to take.


	32. Lions in Cages

**Chapter Thirty-Two – Lions in Cages**

_In the city  
Where I'm from  
Lions in cages just for fun  
But you will pace around your cage  
And wait for night to come_

"Rebekah, you were bordering on ridiculous an hour ago when you asked me to bring the straight iron because the stylist didn't so it correctly. If you don't like what the stylist did, what makes you think I can do it better? You used to spend half of your time insulting my style choices," Caroline asked, gathering the excess material of her strapless red gown as she took a seat on the bench at the end of Rebekah's bed. The guests had already begun to arrive downstairs and Caroline wanted nothing more than to go downstairs and be a good host. It didn't matter that it wasn't her house, she still felt like she needed to be downstairs greeting them. "We need to go downstairs."

"I'm just putting the finishing touches on my outfit," Rebekah said through the bathroom door.

"You said that twenty minutes ago," Caroline complained under her breath, "Klaus and Stefan are downstairs waiting for us." She tucked a blonde curl behind her ear as she ran her hand over her face.

"Not anymore," Klaus spoke as he walked into the room, his hands clasped behind his back.

Caroline moved her hand from her eyes and looked up at him, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be downstairs with everyone else? Who is greeting people?" Caroline asked, sitting straight up.

"Now, love, did you really think I would be standing downstairs saying hello to people at the door?" he cocked his head to the side as he walked over and joined her on the small cushioned bench. "Why don't you come downstairs with me? I cannot be expected to not murder everyone who tries to speak to me if I don't have the distraction of trying not to tear that dress off of you," he whispered against her neck after brushing the blonde curls off her neck. She giggled softly, licking her lips as his lips brushed over the skin just behind her ear. His hand smoothed down her thigh, trying to find the edge of the seemingly endless fabric.

"We can't, your sister is on the other side of the door," Caroline whispered, tilting her head back as his lips made a path down the column of her neck towards the plunging neckline of her dress.

"She's occupying herself with whatever it is you girls do when you are getting ready," he breathed, his hand finally finding the edge of the gown and beginning to bunch the fabric. "Just relax." But she couldn't. Between Rebekah being a door away and an entire room of people downstairs, she couldn't think about anything but Klaus's hand traveling up her bare thigh. Every muscle in her body was tense under his touch, worried about any noise alerting someone to their activities.

He didn't waste time, his free hand moved to pull away her knickers when he realized she was not wearing anything. He raised his head from her chest to give her an impish smirk, "Well then."

"I didn't want pantylines," she breathed back, trying exceptionally hard to keep from making any unnatural noises, something made difficult by the proximity of his hands to the apex of her thighs.

"I'm not complaining." He gave her an innocent look before sliding off the bench and bunching up the material a bit more. His head dipped, pressing a kiss to the inside of her thigh.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" she hissed through her teeth as his fingers found their way to her core, teasing her entrance. Her hips convulsed at the contact, making Klaus chuckle against her skin.

"Helping you relax." His fingers abruptly entered her, drawing a small gasp from her lips before she could stop it.

"Well, you are doing the opposite," she moaned softly, her hand gripping the edge of the bench.

"Give it a moment," he said before his head disappeared under the skirt of her ball gown. She bit down on her lip as she felt Klaus's head dip and make contact. Fighting a moan that threatened to spill from her lips, she finally let her head fall back against the bed. Rebekah's bed. That fact wasn't lost on her. Her head lulled to the side and looked at the door, making sure it had no sign of opening. She looked down in vain, any chance she had at seeing what he was going to do was obscured by her dress. She wanted to ask for more, to whimper and scream his name, but her heavy breathing was already enough to signal Rebekah if she was paying attention.

"Klaus," she finally breathed as she felt the tension building in her lower stomach.

"I prefer Kol actually." Caroline's head shot up as Klaus's pulled out from under the bright red fabric as they saw Kol standing in the door way with his arms folded over his chest, the grin unmoving from his face.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline growled as she shoved her dress back into it's correct position.

"What's going on out there?" Rebekah asked, turning the door knob. Caroline ran her hand over her face, if she could blush, her entire face would have been beet red.

"Rebekah," Kol said in a sing song voice, "Nik and our dear, innocent Caroline are fornicating on your bed." Caroline closed her eyes tightly, willing this all to be a bad dream. Unfortunately, Rebekah's shrill shriek let her know that this was very much reality. She stood from the bench deciding she didn't need to stay here and listen to Rebekah yelling about how she needed a new bed and a new room because they had tainted it. Instead, she grabbed Klaus's arm and headed towards the doorway, stopping to smack the back of Kol's head as they walked out of the room.

"Shall we find a better location?" Klaus whispered as they walked down the hallway.

"No, we will not. There's a party going on downstairs. We were just caught by both your younger sister AND brother. A brother who had now seen me half naked and _not_ the half that I could get over him seeing. There are a hundred people downstairs already and there's only two hours until midnight. Plus there is the little fact that there could possibly be a hunter downstairs that we are supposed to be catching. I remember someone saying something about not sneaking off on our own and that applies to us too," Caroline said, looping her arm through his as they approached the stairs.

"Fine, but that is going to make tonight especially difficult," he told her as she stopped him just before the staircase to straighten the silver bowtie that had gone crooked during their extracurricular activities.

"Later," she said, her lips curling into a small smirk as she patted his chest, "Is my dress straight?" she asked, spinning around for him to make sure the dress wasn't bunched or tucked anywhere.

"You look beautiful," he told her, a smile taking over his lips as he extended his arm to her. "Shall we?" She took his arm, her fingers wrapped delicately around his elbow as they walked down the staircase into the ballroom.

"Where is Rebekah?" Stefan asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Redecorating her room with Kol," Klaus said, lifting two champagne glasses from the waiter that walked by carrying the tray.

Caroline kept her lips in a tight line as she shook her head. "I'm sure she will be down soon enough," she said before changing the subject quickly. "So any sign of him?"

"No not yet," he said, clasping his hands behind his back as he looked over at the two of them. "Damon, Elena, and Bonnie are over there," he pointed towards the bar, "And Elijah and Katherine are watching the door. She's actually behaving tonight which is more than I can say for Elena since she and Damon got here, she hasn't stopped complaining about anything and everything. Tyler and Matt are around somewhere."

"This is going to be a disaster," Caroline said, taking the champagne glass that Klaus handed to her and bringing it to her lips.

"It's going to be fine," Stefan said, looking down at her, "Elena is just frustrated. Don't let one person bother you. She doesn't want to be here. She's upset Damon and I made her come, but you and Rebekah were right. Everyone needs to be here. The hunter is a danger to all of us."

"I'm glad you can recognize that I am always right, Stefan," Rebekah said as she came to a stop behind him after coming down the stairs with Kol. She refused to look at Caroline or Klaus, though Kol couldn't seem to wipe the smirk from his face. "I think I'd like to get some air." She took Stefan's arm and pulled them away from the group.

"I didn't think she would leave us so quickly," Kol said, the mischievous smirk still playing on his lips as he picked up his own champagne glass from the trays floating around. "So should we toast to your finish, Caroline? Or did we not reach that particular peak earlier?"

"Give me the white oak stake," Caroline said, holding her hand out to Klaus.

"I suggest you go find someone else to bother or the only thing you will be toasting to is your freedom from your coffin in 3012," Klaus said, gripping his arm before dropping it leading Caroline in the other direction. He slid his hand down her arm, spinning her once before pulling her into his arms.

"Was this a bad idea?" Caroline asked as he wrapped his arm around her his fingers dancing against the small of her back as he led her around the dance floor.

"That's yet to be seen, love," he told her, his hand holding hers.

She gave a dark chuckle, "That's reassuring." She knew this plan might not work. There was a chance the hunter would not take the bait. A chance someone might go off on their own and get themselves killed and cause the whole thing to fail completely. That was always a possibility in these situations. She knew it as well as anyone; she was usually the collateral damage. The lack of activity concerned her.

"Sweetheart, it's a party in Mystic Falls, when do these things ever end well? Just try to enjoy yourself before the chaos begins to rain down on us all," he told her, glancing down at her. "Pay attention to the surroundings, but don't let it ruin the evening. When this is all over, I fully intend on taking you upstairs and finishing what we started." He whispered against her ear, sending a chill from the base of her neck to the tip of her spine.

"Stop trying to make me break my own rules," she whined, twirling with him as the music picked up.

"Why ruin my fun?" he asked, keeping his perfect posture while pulling Caroline impossibly close as she pouted slightly. "We're taking the jet to Paris in the morning."

"Really?" Caroline asked, her whole demeanor perking up when he mentioned the city of lights.

"Just you and I," he told her. "I do recall promising you Paris. It would be rude to make you share that. It's the last sword. We will retrieve it and then spend a few days away from Mystic Falls. Perhaps I can persuade you into making the trip more permanent after this is said and done." That was his goal. To one day get her away from small town. They could go anywhere. As long as he wasn't stuck here for the next decade waiting for Caroline to be ready to leave, he did not care where they left.

"We'll see," Caroline said simply, leaning into his touch.

| With or Without You |

"When did we draw straws, because I sure as hell don't remember pulling the short one?" Matt asked, downing another glass of champagne as he stood along the wall next to Kol.

"Oh, it's not all bad," Kol combatted, watching the crowd.

"Last time I was here, you tried to kill me." Matt turned and looked at him.

"In my defense, I didn't know you then," Kol said, taking another sip of his champagne glass.

"So are you saying if you did know me, you wouldn't have tried to kill me?" Matt asked, skeptically.

"No, no, I would have still killed you. I was simply stating a fact." Kol shrugged his shoulders.

"Have either of you seen Elena?" Caroline asked, as she walked over to the two of them. Her hands grasped at the layers of taffeta and tulle, keeping it up off the ground as she looked up at the two of them. Her look was a bit frazzled.

"Where is your bodyguard, Caroline? I haven't seen Nik leave your side in days," Kol commented.

"He's looking for Elena. So are Stefan and Damon and Bonnie and everyone else. No one can find her. We were supposed to stick together and now she's gone. I swear to God if she just went home because she didn't want to be here, I'm going to kill her," Caroline said.

"I haven't seen her all night, Caroline," Matt answered her and cause Caroline to huff."

"Come with me, we need to find her," Caroline said, taking Matt's arm and heading towards the courtyard. She was panicking. Even if she was frustrated with Elena, she didn't want anything to happen to her.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Matt asked at they walked through the courtyard.

"Damon said she went to find Bonnie a while ago. He hasn't seen her in a half hour or so. I swear I'm going to lock her in a windowless room or something." She shook her head, looking down each line of trees. "Elena!" she called out.

"Elena!" Matt did the same.

"We're never going to find her," Caroline huffed, crossing her arms.

"Don't say–" His words were cut off as he tripped over something, falling flat forward.

"Matt, are you okay?" Caroline reached down to help him up before turning to see what he tripped over. "Oh my gosh, Elena!" she shrieked.

"Is she dead?" Matt asked, holding his hand to his head.

"No – well, yes, but she's still undead. There's no stake and her heart and head are still attached, someone snapped her neck," Caroline said, before looking up at Matt.

"Why would someone knock Elena out?" Matt asked

Caroline was quiet for a minute, before it hit her. "He's trying to separate us." She jumped up. "Bring Elena inside and don't leave the ballroom. She'll wake up any minute," she told him before disappearing inside. She looked in every room, trying to find anyone, before running square into someone's chest. She looked up to see Damon, "He's trying to separate us. Matt has Elena, someone broke her neck or knocked her out but she's fine, just find everyone and go back to the ballroom," she told him, before taking off in the other direction.

"Caroline?" Klaus caught her as she came around the corner.

"The hunter snapped Elena's neck and left her outside. He knew we would all look for her. He's trying to separate us," she said as his hands gripped her arms, keeping her on her feet until she had managed to steady herself. "Who else would snap Elena's neck?"

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked.

"Matt and I just found Elena in the courtyard, unconscious. Who would have done that aside from the hunter? He has to be here somewhere."

"We'll find him." His demeanor hardened as he grabbed her hand, pulling her down the hallway with him. They checked each room before finally making it into the den. He took a moment to open the safe, taking in the inventory before closing it and covering it with the painting once again. "All the swords are here still," he told her, walking over to her.

"Maybe someone else knocked Elena unconscious," she suggested, biting her lip.

"Not likely," Klaus said. "We'll find him," he wrapped his arm around her once again before moving to walk out of the room. Kol walked in a few seconds later.

"Is this where the party has moved? It's getting dull in the ballroom," Kol said, looking over at the two of them.

"No, just look for the hunter," Caroline said, moving to walk past him into the hallway, but Klaus stopped her.

"No," he shook his head. "You stay here. Kol don't leave this room, don't let anyone into this room. Keep Caroline and the contents of the safe safe," he instructed Kol sternly before looking back at Caroline, "Just stay here, I'll find him." He told her before leaving the room.

Caroline sighed before dropping into one of the chairs. This was not how she wanted this evening to go. She wanted to dance with her boyfriend, have a few glasses of champagne, and most importantly kiss him at midnight. She looked up at the clock and saw it strike midnight, letting out another frustrated sigh. It seemed to fit her luck that instead of on a nice dance floor with all of her friends, she would be stuck in a room with Kol.

"You know, it is traditional-"

"No." She shook her head.

"Fine. Fine." He held his hands up in innocence. "How long do you think it'll take them to find this stupid hunter. The girls are only going to be drunk and alone for so long before they call it a night. It's after midnight, I cannot bother with anything less than a sure thing now and you are far from it."

"I'm sure they will find him soon," Caroline said, running her hand over her face.

"Not likely." Caroline heard a strained voice from behind her say. Both she and Kol, looked up to see Vaughn and Matt standing in the doorway. "I'm here so they are looking in all the wrong places. House full of vampires and hybrids and you leave your only human alone. Tsk, tsk." He pushed Matt into the room, gun pressed to his temple. "Give me my sword back."

Kol and Caroline exchanged a look before they both rushed forward. Caroline couldn't see anything but red. He had killed her mother, she refused to let him hurt anyone else she cared about. They pushed Matt out of the way and got the Vaughn down to the ground. Caroline looked down at the man, her eyes filled with pure hatred. His life was in her hands and she wanted nothing more than to end his life and gain a bit of satisfaction knowing she had avenged her mother's death. She thought about it, all the ways she could end him. She had never been a vengeful person, but this was different.

The noise drew the others up the stairs. Klaus and Elijah were the first ones up the stairs and into the room. They both paused when they saw the look in her eyes, savage, murderous, desperate for the kill.

"Love, you don't want to do that," he told her, reaching his hand down to pull her up as Kol, pushed Vaughn into the ground once again. Klaus pulled her up, looking her over, making sure she was alright. "Put him in the holding cell in the basement," he told Kol and Tyler, who both hoisted the man up.

Once the hunter was secured in the basement and Caroline and Rebekah saw the guests off, the blonde found herself seated in an overstuffed chair in the den. She had forgone the champagne that was still bountiful in the ballroom and kitchen in favor of a beer. Klaus didn't say anything as he walked into the room, simply gave a small smile at the sight of the beautiful girl, curls disheveled in the gigantic red ball gown.

"You know, I don't know why I expected this night to be any different. Things always go to hell," she sighed. "I just wanted one night that wasn't all about vampires and hybrids. I just wanted to be a normal girl, throwing a New Year 's Eve party and kiss my boyfriend at midnight. I know this was part of the plan, but part of me was still hoping nothing would happen."

His brows furrowed as she spoke. He did not understand the desire, but he wasn't about to say that. He had thought the night had been rather successful. The hunter was safely stowed in a prison cell in the basement and everyone was still alive. He didn't question her though. It was futile, he knew that. "You could never simply be a normal girl, Caroline," he said instead, slipping the beer out of her hand and taking a sip before setting it aside. He reached down and pulled her from the chair. "Come on, love. It's time for bed. Tomorrow we'll be in Paris and you'll have another chance to try and be _normal_."


	33. I'll Follow You

**Chapter Thirty-Three – I'll Follow You**

_People tell me there will come a time  
When your heart and mine will grow cold  
Now more staring at the evening sky  
Low replaces high when you're old  
As long as you're around I'll follow you  
You won't ever be alone_

"Let's go," Caroline practically buzzed with excitement as the stood next to the double mahogany doors that led to the car that was waiting for them outside. She rarely got this excited to go on their sword missions. Sure, it was lovely traveling the world, but Florence would have been much more fun if she had not spent the entire trip furious with Stefan and Klaus for making her go and New York was ruined by the hunter. The hunter that was still locked up in the basement of the mansion.

Klaus had told her that he would be dealt with when they got home. That she should not worry about him. He would be there when they returned. Kol, Elijah, Rebekah, and Stefan would see to it that he remained in his holding cell until the time came when he could actually be useful, but Caroline could not get him off her mind. Every time he appeared in her thoughts, everything turned to rage. White, hot rage that she had trouble seeing past. He had killed her mother, taken away the one shred of stability that Caroline had left in this world and all she wanted to do was tear out his throat with her teeth. She needed him to suffer. Suffer the same way she did, but she knew she could not. They needed him. They needed him if they were ever going to finish this quest and Caroline knew better than to get in between Klaus and something he wanted. She tried not to think about it. The hunter would inevitably lead them to the cure and then Klaus would get his hybrids and part of her was scared of what would happen to her when he did. She was rarely insecure around Klaus, but this one thing kept her up some nights. The hybrids were his endgame, his real family, what he had wanted for a thousand years, and Caroline was not sure where that left her. He loved her, he had told her himself, but she still wondered how much of a backseat she would be taking to the new species once he was able to make them again. And what would happen to Elena? Would they end up right back where they started a few months ago? Everyone scrambling to find a way to save Elena, but with Caroline and Stefan on the opposite side of the fight. Even if she was still frustrated with her friend, she did not want her condemned to a life time as a human blood bag against her will. She hoped things could be more civil this time. A bag or two of blood every few months didn't seem all that unreasonable to Caroline if it meant everyone got what they wanted. She just wanted to know where she fit into the puzzle when Klaus got what he really wanted.

"You could not sit still moments ago, now you look as though I'm leading you to your slaughter, love. Why the face?" Klaus questioned her as he walked down the stairs. The strap of his bag rested on his shoulder as he made his way over to her at the entrance way. "Are you reconsidering joining me in Paris?"

"No," Caroline said quickly. She shook her head vehemently, missing out on Paris was the absolute last thing she wanted. She had been dreaming about visiting the city since she was a little girl. The museums, the lights, the music, the atmosphere. There was not a television special or book about the city that Caroline had not seen or read. She was trying her hardest not to let her worries creep into the day, but Klaus's raised eyebrow asking for further elaboration told her she needed to tell him something. "Just worried about the hunter. I heard some banging down there while I was waiting for you," she said quickly. It was not entirely untrue. She was worried about him, more her strong desire to end his life than his actual wellbeing, but it seemed like a better answer than her concerns about where she fit into Klaus's life once he got his ability to make hybrids back.

"Well, no need for that. He's perfectly secure down there. Not even Elijah or Kol could not escape the room downstairs. I designed it myself," he said with a bit of arrogance, giving her a smug smirk. "He will be waiting in his exact location when we return from Paris. Don't ruin your first trip to France by worrying about someone insignificant," he assured her before picking up her bag and heading out the door.

Caroline nodded and followed him, trying to let her worries slip away as the driver opened the door for them and took the two bags. Ruining Paris with worries of back home would practically be a crime against nature. She would never forgive herself. As she got into the car, she resolved to forget about it all and enjoy herself, leaving the troubles in Mystic Falls as the car pulled out of the driveway.

"So where are we staying?" Caroline asked, turning towards him as they settled into their seats on the plane. "The Ritz Carlton? Le Bristol? Somewhere on the Champs Elysees?" Her eyes peered up at him hopefully. Of all the places she had read about or seen those looked the most enticing. They were beautiful and full of old world elegance and glamour. Whenever Caroline pictured herself in any one of them it was always like a scene from a movie, seated on the edge of a lavish barstool in the lobby in a silk dress waiting for a martini or something more demure. It was her dream.

"L'hotel," he informed her, watching as her lips twisted from a smile to a look of confusion. "Something wrong with that choice?" he asked curiously. He was relatively certain she only knew one thing about that particular hotel, most people discounted it for the single reason.

"Where Oscar Wilde died?" she raised an eyebrow. "All of Paris and we are staying where Oscar Wilde died?" she asked slightly disappointed. She tried not to let it show, but Caroline had never been good at hiding her emotions, especially disappointed. It was the same reason people always knew whether or not she liked the presents they gave her.

"That is merely an event that took place there. L'Hotel is one of the finest hotels in Paris." He told her, taking in the unsure look that still crowded her features. "Hold your judgments until we arrive."

"Fair enough," she sighed, settling into her seat.

Unlike Klaus, Caroline seemed to drift off within moments of the plane taking off, leaving him to his own devices. As soon as the plane entered the air space over the city of Paris, he had to wake her up. Pointing out the Eiffel Tower as it came into view in the small plane window, he was glad to see the worry that had etched her features gone as she saw Paris for the first time. She looked like a child in a candy store as she stared out the town car window as they drove through the city on the way to the hotel. She probably would have preferred to walk, but unfortunately he had not managed to convince her that the airport was actually an hour or better outside of the city.

"It's pretty, I will give you that much, but it's still not overcoming the fact that Oscar Wilde died here," Caroline said quietly as they walked into the lobby. She looked around the circular lobby and tried to drink it in. It was opulent, but not in a way an obvious way. It was the kind of opulence she had grown accustom to, old world. The same style that Klaus decorated his mansion in. Marble and carved would and sculpted iron and suddenly all of the pieces fit together in her brain. She didn't say anything but the smile crept across her lips.

"We're not staying in the room in which he died. If that soothes you any, love," he told her as he returned, holding a room key.

As they made it to the room, Caroline dropped her bag and moved over to the window. Her fingers pressed against the pane as she looked out over the city. It was a perfect view. Just tall enough to see over the endless, templed roof tops and view the St. Germain Church in all its glory as well as Notre Dame in the distance. Nothing compared to seeing it in its full glory, nothing could have prepared her for her first full view of Paris. Her mouth hung open slightly as she stared, trying to memorizes the peak of each building and the valley of each street. It was heavenly.

She did not move an inch as she felt Klaus move behind her, unsure of how long she had been gaping out the window. She felt his arms slide around her, holding her waist tightly as his chin settled on her shoulder, watching what she was watching. "You know, we have time to explore? We can lengthen this trip a bit. Or come back when all of this is over. You don't have to memorize the city in one look," he mumbled against her ear.

"That doesn't mean I can't try," she said, a small smile taking over her lips, replacing the look of pure awe. "Where's the Eiffel Tower?"

"It's down the Seine a ways. Just on the other side of that curve." He lifted one of the arms from her waist and pointed. He pressed a few kisses to her neck, pulling back the curls to give him more access.

"You aren't getting your thank you for taking me to Paris sex until I've seen more of it," she teased, peeling her eyes from the view to look over at him.

"I was angling for we're nearly done with this mission sex, actually." He trailed his lips over her collarbone, his teeth nipping at her skin without breaking it as his hands moved to the edge of her sweater. She closed her eyes, teetering on the edge of giving in.

"I suppose we have all day to see Paris tomorrow."

| With or Without You |

"You didn't even compel him, how did we get in so quickly? That line was wrapped halfway around the atrium," Caroline asked, keeping in step with Klaus as they walked through the large atrium of the Louvre.

He looked at her with a derisive look, not breaking stride, "I'm an artist, Caroline. I would like to think I have a little pull. Especially when they are angling to gain a piece of the collection currently in St. Petersburg."

"Which I still have not seen," she pointed out, taking his arm as her heeled boots clicked against the marble museum floor as he pulled her towards the Denon wing.

"In due time, love." He walked past the crowd of people waiting to get in and through security, once again leaving Caroline a bit confused, but she ignored it. They walked through a few rooms before finally entering a large gallery that boasted a large crowd gathered around a partial wall.

"Is that the-"

"Yes."

"Why is it so small?" she asked, taking a few steps towards it.

"It's the most famous painting in the world. You've seen it how many times growing up? In film, literature, media. Anyone can close their eyes and picture it without missing a detail, nothing could possibly hold up to that kind of exposure. Yet, millions of people flock to see it without giving much of a glance to the other paintings each year. If the only piece worth seeing was the Mona Lisa, I can assure you, the Louvre would not have spent millions on the other pieces housed here." He shook his head, a look of disgust temporarily marring his features as he looked at the hordes of tourists who simply took a picture of the painting and left. "However, that is not why we're here."

Klaus took her shoulders and gently spun her towards the opposite wall. Her eyes widened as she took in the 28 by 32 foot masterpiece in front of her. She could not even begin to comprehend how someone could possibly paint something so massive with so much detail.

"The Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese," he said, stepping beside her. "It's a beautiful painting, his attention to detail was exquisite. Unfortunately, it's location is less than ideal. It doesn't receive the attention it deserves due to the Mona Lisa."

"But this one is so much better," she commented, marveling up at it.

"That it is, but that does not keep people interested when what they have come to see is just across from them."

Caroline frowned but didn't say anything; instead, she continued to study the painting. He gave her a few more minutes before leading her off to their next destination. "Where are we going now?"

"Patience." He brushed her off in search of a pair of white double doors, pulling one open and ushering her inside. "Now, everyone sees the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, I would prefer the exhibits not yet open to the public." He led her down a narrow hallway and through a set of doors labeled storage.

"Why do they keep so many paintings out here instead of on display?" Caroline asked, looking around at the names on the units, noting which paintings were stored in which places. A reputable who's who in the art world of the 12th to 20th century.

"Being on display is difficult on the art. The flashes, the exposure to changing light and temperature degrades the paint over time. This room is temperature and humidity controlled. The Louvre's collection is far more extensive than they could ever display at one time. With the exception of the more notable or famous pieces, Da Vinci, Antioch, Veronese, they rotate the pieces. It preserves the art and keeps the exhibits fresh." He turned to face her motioning for her to follow him down one of the rows. He ran his hand along the row until he found what he was looking for. Carefully, he pulled out the rather large painting and held it up for her. "This is one my favorite pieces."

Caroline looked at it carefully. The plate at the bottom of the frame read _The Death of the _Virgin by Caravaggio. She was vaguely familiar with the name from art classes in high school, but she couldn't remember why she knew it. The piece didn't bring forth any memories. It was beautiful, of course. She did not think there was anything in this building that was not remarkably beautiful, but she also couldn't quite place it. "Why?" she asked, her face void of judgment. She wanted to hear what exactly was so remarkable about it from him before she snapped to any assumptions.

"Well, the art itself is a bit subpar. The lines could be cleaner. While I'm a great fan of dark colors, the colors could be lighter. There's many choices I would have made differently had I been the artist behind it-"

"Those are all of the reasons you don't like it," she interrupted.

"I prefer paintings with a story. This one certainly has one. This is the last painting of The Virgin death recognized by the Catholic church," he told her.

"I never took you for a religious man," she chuckled a bit.

"Far from it," he shook his head, a dark chuckle escaping his own lips. "It's the last painting depicting Mary's death because it created a whirlwind of controversy with the Pope before he refused to recognize them. Caravaggio, much like most of the artists at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, was a bit of a drunk. Though nearly all of his work revolved around Christianity, he himself led quite the tumultuous life. He often got into fights and caused much havoc around Rome. He had a lot of friends and constituents in high places that kept him from trouble. This painting in particular was passed off as the Virgin Mary. People questioned why she appeared so young at death and he stayed mum on the subject until it was discovered that he modeled her after a prostitute he often requested the company of. Everything went downhill for him after that. Shortly after painting it, he killed a man and fled the city."

"I can't imagine modeling Mary after a prostitute went over well with the Pope," she shook her head.

"Not at all," he said, carefully slipping the painting back into the unit that had previously housed it. "Now, what else would you like to see?"

"I wouldn't mind seeing the Eiffel Tower or anyone of those hundred shops along the Champs Elysees," she said as they turned to leave the room, stopping just short of the room when something caught her eye. She pulled away from Klaus and walked to the opposing wall, filled with Polaroid's of pieces of art. She plucked one off the wall and showed it to Klaus. "Is that what I think it is?"

"I think so, love." He took it from her hand and walked over to the computer. Once the filing system was up, he typed in the code from the bottom of the picture and pulled up the file. "They had the sword up until two weeks ago. They had been restoring it and storing it for a collector until then."

"What's so special about it being two weeks ago?" she asked, looking down at him as she leaned over the back of his chair.

"Kol created a national emergency in Russia by stealing the sword from a museum in St. Petersburg. The owner probably saw the story and came and got it before it was stolen as well," he said, pulling out his phone and taking a picture of the location.

"So what do we do now?" she asked as he stood up and began to lead her out of the room.

"We steal it back," he said with a devilish smirk.


	34. Let Her Go

**Chapter Thirty-Four – Let Her Go**

_Well you only need the light when it's burning low  
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow  
Only know you love her when you let her go  
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low  
Only hate the road when you're missing home_

"Did you find out anything?" Klaus asked, leaning over the back of the chair Caroline sat in. They had been back at the hotel for less than an hour, but Caroline had been quick to open her laptop and see what she could find out about the owner of the sword.

"Well, this is either a fake name or someone's parents _really_ loved Anna Karenina. A.V. is Alexander Vronsky. That's the name registered to the address as well. It's a townhouse, private residence on the edge of the 4th district, The Marais," Caroline said, turning to look at him briefly before continuing her clicking on the computer. "He's a business man and a philanthroper around Europe and Asia, though I use the term business man loosely because I can't seem to find a single business he's associated with that doesn't sound completely made up." She scrolled down the picture.

"It's probably a fake name." He looked down at the picture before halting Caroline's hand and pointing at the screen. "No jewelry, clearly not a vampire. Go there, kill him, take the sword, and take you up to the top of the Eiffel tower. All in an evening's work." He kissed her shoulder.

"Why do you have to kill him? He could be completely innocent," she argued, clicking over to another open tab. "I don't know how to get it once we're in, but he's having a fundraiser at the townhouse he owns tonight. I'm guessing it's black tie and something tells me we can compel ourselves in. The sword is probably there. We could just go there and get it. It wouldn't be the end of the world if you let someone live."

"I can work with that," he told her with a nod, reaching over her shoulder to close the laptop before pulling her out of the chair. "That gives us two hours before we need to make an appearance. I trust you can wield my wallet accordingly." He watched the smirk grow across her lips as she pulled him out of the hotel room with her.

Caroline did not waste time. As they made their way out of the hotel she wound her way through the streets and across the bridge towards the Champs Elysees. Klaus chuckled at her determination, how she had managed to find the one street she had been looking for having never been here before. He could only guess that she had paid attention on the way into the city. Before he knew it, he was standing on the corner of the Champs Elysees and Avenue Montaigne with Caroline dragging him into Chanel. She left him standing in the dust as she disappeared into the heaven of tulle and lace and everything else that made her love the city oh so much. He knew she would be a while so instead of blindly waiting until for her to make Sophie's choice between the two dresses she was clutching as she went into the dressing room, he headed a few doors down to Ralph Lauren and picked out a suit. He hoped by the time he returned Caroline would had made a choice, but by the looks of it, she had compelled the staff to release the Spring Collection early and was now picking through it one dress at a time. He dropped down in one of the chairs near the dressing room, straightening out his tie as he waited.

"Red or Green? Don't ask questions just answer," Caroline asked, through the dressing room door.

"Green," he said, more than ready to get out of the store. It was a bad decision to come with her. He could have let her take care of all of this on her own and not dealt with it. He hated waiting, even for Caroline.

"Does this look okay?" she asked, stepping out of the dressing room. The emerald green dress clung to every curve Caroling had, the straps twisted over her shoulders as she turned around slowly, revealing her bare back to him as the dress dipped down to the small of her back. He licked his lips in appreciation as the fabric skimmed over her skin crossing over her back.

"Ravishing," he said, his eyes wandering back up to hers. "Now, come along. We have something to see before this party. If things don't go well after retrieving the sword and we have to leave Paris in a rush, I don't want you to miss this." He led her out of the store and they began down one of the many Parisian avenues.

Caroline's mind began to wander to where they could possibly going. There were so many places that sprang to mind. The Arc du Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Sacred Heart, there were so many spectacular places in this city. He could lead her down any street and make a compelling case for why it was the place she needed to see before leaving. She fought the urge to question him as he led her down each avenue towards the Seine River, running through the heart of the city. She was a bit confused as he stopped her in the middle of a bridge.

"Where are we?" she asked, turning around under his arm as she looked around the bridge they were standing on.

"Pont des Arts," he said, turning her towards the view of the Notre Dame and the rest of the city. "The bridge was constructed in 1804 by Napoleon. He built it as an affirmation to his wife Josephine."

"I've read about them. His letters to her. They were beautiful and depressing. He really loved her."

"And she him. They had quite the tumultuous relationship really. Affairs and threats," he explained before waving his hand, "Regardless, this is the best few in the city, untainted by the buildings. You can see the straight down the river."

"If he loved her so much, why did they break up?" she asked, looking away from the view.

"It's rather complicated. She was unfaithful, manipulative at first, he caught her in the affair and wanted to leave her but he couldn't deny her political savvy and he loved her children from her previous marriage. Instead he opted to stay with her, but she could never produce for him an heir so ten years later he finally divorced her and married another woman. Josephine was in love with him until the day she died. His name was the last on her lips."

"Sadly poetic," she mumbled, before turning around to face him, "I'm glad we can't die." She leaned up to press her lips to his. "We're going to be late."

| With or Without You |

Caroline took a deep breath as they walked into the parlor of the large house. It was another level of opulence, over-the-top. There was nothing understated in the entire house and she was beginning to wonder why she was there. She was afraid to touch anything. Afraid of breaking anything or drawing attention to herself. Stealth was not exactly her middle name. She had learned that the hard way when Katherine had tried to use her against Stefan and Elena.

She glanced over at Klaus, his expression was non-committal. It was clear he was trying to scope out the situation before he made any assumptions or formulated a plan but Caroline had no idea what she should do in the meantime. He was quick to detach himself from her as his eyes fell on the host of the party. She looked up at him confused before he began to explain, "Go to the bar, get a drink, walk right past him. Distract him, keep him in this room. I'm going to go find the sword. Stay here, whatever you do don't leave this room, it's full of people, nothing can happen to you in here, do you understand me, Caroline?" he asked, looking down at her.

"How am I supposed to distract him?" she asked in a quiet tone, her eyebrows knitting together as she tried to figure out how to do what he was asking of her.

Klaus saw the panic rising to her face and took her shoulders, "He's a human, you are a vampire. You distracted me for months, I'm positive you can take him," he told her before disappearing through one of the doors.

Caroline wiped the confused look from her face and tried to put on one of complete confidence. She had distracted Klaus and he had been none the wiser months ago. She could do this. She put her shoulders back and walked over to the bar, leaning against it with her back towards the host. "Can I get a vodka cranberry?" she asked.

"That will be on me." Caroline heard a voice say, turning in time to see the man she had seen in photos earlier that day. Her body tensed for a moment. What was she supposed to do? Distraction was not her strong suite, she only had one weapon in her arsenal and she felt strange using it while she was dating Klaus, especially while he was in the building, but it was better than him leaving and catching Klaus and dying. She forced herself to relax and painted on a smirk.

"This is your party, aren't all of the drinks on you?" she asked with a smile, thanking the bartender when he brought her the drink.

He smirked, "Alright you caught me, but can you blame me for trying. Beautiful girl who I don't recognize, all alone at my party. And since you seem to already know my name, you can't fault me for attempting to get to know you…"

"Rebekah," she said softly, extending her hand out to him to shake. She thought about giving him her real name, but decided against it, giving him the first that popped into her head.

"Well, Rebekah, thank you for coming this evening. I take it saving the migratory bird species is a passion of yours?" he asked.

"Actually, this stuff just looks really good on my college applications. My brother is quite big on bats, though." She gave a small laugh.

Klaus could hear her laughter from the hallway and he tried to put it out of his mind. It wasn't the way she laughed with him, it wasn't real, but that still did not stop him from wanting to destroy whoever was making _his_ girl laugh. She was doing exactly what she was supposed to be doing, keeping the man distracted while he searched for the sword. He still hated it. If she had just let him kill him like he wanted to, this wouldn't be happening. He would not be feeling the jealousy he was experiencing at the moment, but no. He was trying to appease Caroline's human instincts. Clearly it had not been his best judgment call. Every muscle in his body was tense as he walked down the hallway, making his way to the room at the end of the hallway. There were far too many lock on the door for it to be nothing. He knew that much. He put the laughter in the back of his mind as he forced the door open and began to search for some kind of safe or case.

"So what brings you to France?" the man asked, looking down at Caroline as she sipped her drink.

"Just visiting," she said simply, playing with the straw in her glass. She froze as the man started to lean in closer, afraid he was going to try something.

"You mean it's not to steal my sword like your brother has in St. Petersburg," she froze as he whispered in her ear. She started to defend herself before feeling the horrible headache begin, causing her knees to go weak. He caught her, walking her towards the hallway. Once they were out of sight he continued. "You know I've never met the original family, but I've heard a lot about you all. I would not have though they would leave their only sister unprotected," he said.

If Caroline had not been in pain, she would have been cursing using Rebekah's name, it seemed to be getting her in more trouble than it was worth. How had she not realized he was a warlock? Was there even a way to tell? She had no idea, but she was certain she was going to find out soon enough as he opened a door and shoved her in. Luckily someone caught her. She felt the pain cease, finally giving her a chance to look up and see Klaus, one arm wrapped around her and the other holding the sword.

"What are you doing here?" the man demanded, "Who are you?" Caroline watched as he focused before letting it go when he realized his mental tricks didn't work on Klaus.

"Call me Klaus," he said, before swinging his arm and slicing through the man's neck with the sword. He looked down at the damage he had just inflicted, admiring the clean slice through the neck, allowing the man's head to fall the ground and stop at the desk. He looked down as the blood dripped from the blade onto the floor. "That settles that," he said calmly, wiping the blood off on the man's suit before looking down at Caroline. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

She nodded, still in slight shock over what had just happened to the man in front of her.

"Good. Then let's get out of here, shall we? I would hate to be here when the body is discovered. More work than I feel like dealing with tonight," he shook his head in annoyance, tucking the sword through his belt loop before wrapping his arm around Caroline and heading out of the room. She made a point not to make eye contact with anyone as they made their way out of the house. Certain that if she did someone would instantly know what they had just done.

"He knew about your family. He thought I was Rebekah," Caroline said once they were standing outside.

"Well, you did tell him your name was Rebekah, love," he said, his jaw ticking in annoyance as he thought about the man flirting with Caroline once again.

Caroline's face flashed with recognition that he had heard her conversation with the man earlier before letting it fade out. "Still, do you think that means something?" she asked, glancing up at him as they made their way back to the hotel room.

"It means that most people in the supernatural community are aware of the concept of the original family. They know we exist, our names, some of them even know our stories. They are passed around like lore, Caroline. It's simply a warlock who happened upon something of value to me. He may have known what he was in possession of, he may not have. It doesn't matter. As long as I have it now," he told her, opening the door for her and leading her inside. "And now we have all five swords and the hunter, and the map, and nothing can possible get in our way."

"I just have one question," Caroline said, pausing to take off her heels.

"I told you, he's nothing. I don't want to talk about him," Klaus shook his head, loosening his tie.

"No, not about him," she said, walking over to him, "The bridge we were on earlier, there were locks all over it, with names. Why are there locks on the bridge?"

"Oh," he replied, his demeanor softening as his annoyance with the man began to fade. He was dead after all. No possible way he could try anything with Caroline ever again. "It's rather ridiculous actually. People write their names on a lock and lock it to the bridge before throwing the key in the Seine. It's supposed to represent their love lasting until the lock is taken off the bridge, which without the key would be never."

"That's romantic."

"Actually the French Government has been slowly removing the locks for years so really it means nothing," he said, with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders before looking back to her smiling and hopeful expression. He could practically see the wheels turning in her eyes. "You want to put a lock on the bridge don't you?"

"I just think it's romantic and it would not be the end of the world if we did it," she spoke quickly, putting her heels back on as she recognized the look of defeat on his face that told her she was getting her way.

And that was exactly how he found himself standing on the Pont des Arts at midnight, watching as Caroline wrote their names on a lock and search for the perfect spot on the bridge to place the lock.

"There," she said, curling under his arm to admire her work. "Now every time we come to Paris, it will be there."

"Actually I doubt it'll be here even the next time we come back," he said, trying to get a rise out of her.

"Stop ruining it, what's next are we going to destroy the magic of shooting stars too?"

"Actually, you are a few thousand years late on that, love. By the time we see the shooting stars, they are long dead somewhere in the galaxy," he said with a matter of fact tone as his fingers lightly stroked her arm.

"Nope, not letting you ruin this," she shook her head in determination before handing him the key. "Do you want to do the honors?"

He sighed before conceding and taking the key from her open palm. He tossed it into the waters of the Seine, a few hundred yards before turning and beginning to walk back to the hotel with her, "Are you happy, Caroline?" he asked. He meant for about today, but the undertones were clear, especially for the young blonde under his arm.

She looked up at him, the smile reaching her eyes first and them her lips, "Very."

**A/N: Hey guys, I just wanted to mention that the Napoleon/Josephine relationship can be interpreted many, **_**many**_** ways. That's just one version of it. Same with the meaning behind the bridge. As always, thanks for reading, please review. **


	35. All Around Me

**Chapter Thirty-Five – All Around Me**

_My hands float above me  
And you whisper you love me  
And I begin to fade  
Into our secret place_

"I loved Paris. More than I have ever loved a city in my life, but I have to admit, I'm glad to be home," Caroline spoke as they walked into the mansion, tugging the strap of her suitcase over her shoulder as they walked in. Paris had been lovely and part of her had never wanted to leave. Everything was much simpler there. They just existed there. It was a taste of something she wanted desperately. A life that did not revolve around vampires and werewolves and hybrids and death. She had been told by Klaus and Stefan all of the good parts of being a vampire, the art and the culture, the beauty and the time, but she had yet to see any of it. She spent most of her time seeing murders and trying not to get killed, running. This was a taste though, a taste of what things could be like when the dust settled. And Caroline could not wait for more.

"Well, we do have some business to attend to here," he said, setting his suitcase down as they reached the top of the stairs and headed into the master suite of the mansion. Aside from his family being here, there was nothing about the town that held value to him. He could leave any time without feeling like he was missing out on something. It was just a boring southern town he could not seem to escape.

"I know, I do miss Paris already though," Caroline admitted, the grin breaking out over her face as she peeled her jacket off, setting it on top of her suitcase. She couldn't remember the last time she had spent a night in her own house, but she was unfazed by it. She felt safe in Klaus's home, even more so in his arms which seemed to weave around her waist the moment she peeled the coat off.

His lips found her neck, brushing softly over it as he trailed his fingers over the front of her shirt, unfastening each button as he went, "On peut toujours prétendre que nous sommes à Paris, l'amour," he purred against her skin and Caroline let a barely audible whimper fall from her lips. Him whispering French in her ear was beyond sexy, resistance was futile as he told her they could pretend they were still in Paris and ran his tongue along the shell of her ear. She was putty in his very experienced hands. His fingers made quick work of her shirt, letting it drop to the ground completely intact, in a rare bout of patience on his part.

Klaus slid his hands up slowly, contouring to her sides, feeling the muscles contract under his touch. He was in no rush, there was no need for it. As his hands finally reached their destination, he cupped her breasts through the black lace, his fingers brushed against her, teasing her. It was only a moment more before one of his hands slid between them and unhooked the bra, dropping it to the ground. He spun her to face him, smirking at the delightfully intoxicated expression she was wearing. Her lust slowing her reactions and allowing him to lift her with ease, dropping her onto his large bed and leaning over her body. His lips picked up where they left off, trailing down her neck and over her chest, taking one of the tightened peaks into his mouth and biting gently as he rolled his thumb over the other. Her back arched from the bed and he seized the opportunity dropped a few open mouth kisses over her abdomen, hooking his fingers on her jeans and panties and pulling them both down in a slow, drawn out fashion.

"Please," Caroline whimpered, looking down at him.

He raised an eyebrow before giving her a cheeky smirk, "Comme vous le souhaitez," he breathed against her stomach before disengaging himself from her. Unlike how he undressed her, he undressed himself quickly, only letting a few moments pass before his lips joined with hers once again. His patience now gone, his hands moved to her thighs, splitting her legs and hitching her knees around his hips as he thrust into her. Her head dipped back against the pulled as she wrapped around him. He filled her, thrusting slowly, drawing out each motion as his tongue tangled with hers. She shuddered under his touch, taking a moment to adjust before her hips rose to meet his, matching him thrust for thrust.

Without warning her body clutched around him, muscles contracting and spasming, clenching him deep. Her nails dug into his back, racking down it as she clung to him. The orgasm caught her off guard, taking her with the force of a tidal wave. When she finally couldn't take anymore, she cried out, her body twisting underneath his before finally relaxing, his name leaving her lips like a prayer as he fell over the edge with her. He let out a guttural moan as his face buried against her neck.

After a few moments, Klaus managed to roll off to the side, pulling Caroline to his chest. His fingers trailed over her bare back softly as she caught her breath, "Je t'aime," Caroline said, turning over and looking up at him, a lazy smile adorning her lips as she played into his French game.

"I love you, too," he said softly, propping her chin up to give her another soft kiss before once again falling into the comfortable silence. It was early yet, too early to sleep away the rest of the day and night, but neither of them had any intention of moving. The trip home had been exhausting and Klaus, for one, knew that the longer he kept her in bed and distracted, the smaller the chance that she would think about the man locked in a cell in the basement. He did not want her to worry about it, and he certainly did not want her down there.

As Caroline trailed her fingers over the hard muscles of Klaus's chest, there was one question burning on her mind. "What happens now?" she asked. The question was weighted heavily, many different meanings lingering behind her words.

He searched his eyes for a moment before raising an eyebrow, imploring her to narrow down her inquiry.

"We have all of the swords. We have the Hunter with a complete mark and map. We are about to get everything you want. Everything you've been working for. What happens now?" she asked, her teeth making a trench in her bottom lip as she waited for an answer.

"We find the cure," he answered, taking the easy way out. It was a copout, even he was aware that it was not the answer she was looking for. His assumptions were confirmed by the look on her face. She looked a bit lost and as much as it pained him to admit, he was too. He let out a breath and looked at her, "I don't know." He untangled himself from her and sat up, taking another deep breath. It was not easy for him to admit to himself let alone out loud, but he wasn't sure what he wanted anymore. Hybrids had been his endgame for a thousand years. He had been chasing his goal for over a millennium and when he finally got it, it all fell apart. His hybrids turned on him, betrayed him, his family he fought so hard to keep together had walked away from him.

"Do you still want your army of hybrids?" she asked, trying not to let the distain for his need for hybrids and her own insecurities about them show in her words, but she knew they did.

It was not a simple yes or no for Klaus. He wanted them, but he knew they would never be what he wanted them to be. There would always be a Tyler or a Hayley in the bunch, waiting to tear down his creations and turn them on him. "You were right, you know, the night of the ball," he said, his gaze remaining fixed on the red sheets that draped over the bed. "Being alone is not horrible in the beginning. The solitude allows for reflection. Cloaks you in the comfort of knowing no one can betray you or let you down. You have time to carefully consider and decide what you _think _you want out of life. But given enough time, it turns on you. That reflection turns to guilt and analysis of every decision. Regret consumes you when you are left alone with your thoughts. A century, I have been alone and it's taken me this long to admit it was not by choice." His hands stilled against the sheet as Caroline sat up, tugging it with her.

"You feel like not a person in this world loves you," she said softly, knowing the feeling all too well. She had never been alone, not like him, her pain was different. It was standing in a room full of people who should have cared about her, who continually pushed her aside and made her feel like she was not worth their time. Her pain was being the second choice, the last resort, pretending to be happy and perfect when all she wanted to do was go home to the empty house and cry into her pillow. It had been a long time since she had felt that way and it was because of the man sitting in front of her.

Her hand found his, curling around it wordlessly. They sat there for a few minutes before she spoke, finally finding the right words, "You said you wanted a family. That's what the hybrids were supposed to be. You have one. It's me and it's Stefan and Rebekah and Elijah and as much as it pains me to admit, it's Kol and Katherine. And I know we're not ideal. I know this isn't what you've always dreamed of. We fight and I spend most of my time wanting to kill Kol and avoiding Katherine like the plague, but I love this family. It's the only one I have. And as much as I love you, just my love isn't enough, you need them too. This is the most together your family has been in centuries. All of you do better together. Rebekah is happy and Stefan isn't mopey. Kol isn't slaughtering the entire town, which for him is a feat. Katherine is tolerable when she's around Elijah and I actually heard him crack a joke before we left. That's a family."

| With or Without You |

"I can take over from here, Stef. Rebekah is looking for you," Caroline told him as she walked into the small basement room. She patted him on the shoulder before looking over at Jeremy. "So is it finished, Jer?" she asked as she leaned against doorway of the small room. Her eyes wandered to the man tied to the chair in front of the two of them. Her expression remained unchanged, hardened and unforgiving as she watched the man who killed her mother slump against his restraints. Her mind wandered as she saw him. She wanted to know if he was sorry or if her mother had just been collateral damage.

"His mark? Yes, but the drawing is going to take a minute more," Jeremy said, not looking up from the sketch pad in his lap. "You don't have to be here, Caroline. I don't need a babysitter. We both know there's no way I could let him out and get out of here without you all stopping us. There's four originals and three vampires in this house right now. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm not babysitting you. I just like knowing he's here, stuck in this little room and not hurting anyone else I care about," she said, crossing her arms. After her talk with Klaus the night before about family, keeping them all safe was even more important. "Thanks again, for doing this, Jeremy. I know it's not easy for you."

"He looks pretty comfortable doing it to me," Vaughn finally decided to pipe in, lifting his head up to look at the two of them. He took a languished breath before his eyes fell on Jeremy, "How does it feel to betray your own kind like this?" Jeremy ignored him, finishing his lines on the mark. "There's only a handful of us and you side with the bloodsuckers anyway," the man spat.

"I'm not siding with the vampires, I'm siding with my sister and my friends. If this is the only thing I can do to keep me from wanting to kill every single person I know, then I'm going to do it," Jeremy said, setting his pencil down. "I'm done, Care. This should be what Klaus needs to find the cure so we can end this thing." He stood from the chair and walked towards her, showing her the sketch book.

"It should be. Thanks. Once this is over, we can put this all behind us. I really can't wait for that," Caroline said.

"That's all I want," Jeremy said, cracking a small smile. It was the first time she had seen him smile in a long time, before Alaric died for sure. He had become so serious all of the time. She couldn't blame him. The poor kid had been through hell the last few years, but he was still standing. She had to give him credit for that.

"Don't worry about it. Tell Matt I said hi when you go-" She stopped as she saw the man behind them, push away the ropes that had been binding him and lunge for Jeremy. The ease in which he got out of them made her wonder how long he had been untied, waiting for the opportunity to strike. She didn't give him a chance to get to Jeremy, putting her hand out to stop him, catching him as her hand entered his chest. She withdrew, dropping the unbeating heart to the ground in shock. A horrible grunt left his body before it crumpled to ground and left Caroline and Jeremy standing there in shock, her hand covered in blood. "He was coming at you," she whimpered.

Jeremy looked at her, taking in her blood covered appearance for a moment, before calling for Stefan. Jeremy knew he should ask if she was okay, but he was too busy keeping himself from killing her when he saw the veins under her eyes ripple. A few moments later Klaus and Stefan were bounding down the stairs.

"What happened?" Klaus demanded, his hands gripping Caroline shoulders as he looked down at her. He needed an answer. Needed to hear something other than what the scene was already showing him.

"He-he was coming after Jeremy. He got untied, I-I-I don't know how," she said. The tears were already beginning to well up in her eyes as a sob swallowed her throat. They already had the map, but Caroline knew all too well what was about to happen. She was about to lose it.

Klaus let out a strangled sigh, looking at her with remorse before letting her go. His jaw clenched as he turned to Jeremy, pressing him against the wall. "Did you have anything to do with this? Did you let him go?"

"The first thing he did was try to kill me, of course I didn't let him go!" Jeremy snapped, wrestling out of Klaus's grasp. "I got your map," he shoved it into Klaus's chest before walking out of the house.

Klaus turned back and looked at Caroline who was trying to wipe the blood from her hand as she looked down at the man who she had just killed. She looked frantic and if he didn't know any better he would say the hallucinations had already begun by the frantic and scared look on her face. They had time though, but not much. Caroline's humanity was her biggest weakness. He guilt alone was wracking her already and it had not even begun. He looked at the tears in her eyes and sighed, knowing exactly what he had to do. They would find another hunter, find the cure, wait it out. He didn't care, but he would not let this be her end.

"What should I do?" Stefan asked, a pained expression on his face as he looked from Caroline to Klaus.

"Take this and the swords and start sorting it out," Klaus said, handing him the sketch book. "Come on, love," he wrapped his arm around Caroline and led her up the stairs quickly. He let her wash her hands in the kitchen sink as he grabbed the blood bags from the fridge.

"Where are we going?" she questioned softly as he led her down the hallway to a large windowless bedroom. He closed and locked the door behind him, making sure Caroline could not unlock the door. She sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at him, her hands held in her lap, trying not to fiddle with them. "What happens now?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. She had seen it. She knew what it looked like from the outside. It had been horrible watching him descend into madness and now she was going to experience it herself.

"We have some time," he started slowly, arranging the blood bags in a nearby cabinet. "It starts slowly. You may see the hunter, you may see others you care about or are fearful of. The hallucinations will grow stronger with time. They will intensify as will your desire to end your life," he said solemnly as he sat down next to her. "This room is windowless, so you cannot take off your ring. It's free of wooden furniture, so staking yourself is no longer an option."

"Am I going to die?" she asked, the sound coming out in a terrified whimper.

"No, I won't allow it," he said, drawing her close to him as they leaned back on the bed. "I won't let it happen, Caroline, I promise you. I just need you to promise me something," he said, cupping her cheeks as he looked down at her. "You are going to see things. I don't know what your own conscious will manifest, but it could be Stefan or Katherine, your mother, even me, I need you to remember that it's not me," Klaus told her firmly. "I need you to remember that I love you, that I will always be here, that I will not grow tired of you or force you to do anything you don't want to do. I will never pull you into my darkness, I would never harm you. I need you to know these things and I need you to remember them no matter what happens." He told her all of the things he thought but never said. All of the things the curse could call into question, everything he thought she needed to hear.

She nodded, curling back into his chest. "What happens now?"

"We wait."


	36. Ships in the Night

**Chapter Thirty-Six – Ships in the Night**

_Like ships in the night  
You keep passing me by  
We're just wasting time  
Trying to prove who's right  
And if it all goes crashing into the sea  
If it's just you and me trying to find the light  
Like ships in the night_

Caroline knew it was coming. She knew the hallucinations would take her over soon. They would consume her, make her think things she didn't want to know, didn't want to consider. They did not start immediately, but she wondered if that made things worse. She had too much time to think. She remained perfectly still there. Her body curled into Klaus's, face buried against the crook of his neck.

"What is it going to feel like?" she asked, her words muffled by his neck.

She was scared. He could hear it in her voice and his stomach lurched in an unfamiliar bout of sympathy for the hell she was about to encounter. There was no way to prepare her for what was coming. He had tried. Told her all he could think of to make this easy for her. Prepare her, but he did not know what was lurking in her subconscious. Things he could not imagine or was not privy to would be unleashed on her. He took a breath before pulling away enough to look down at her. "It's going to feel real. Very real. You won't be able to differentiate between hallucination and reality unless you have something to ground yourself on."

"I'm going to go crazy. I'm going to be Drusilla and you and Stefan are going to have to keep me from killing myself or everyone else for the rest of eternity," she rambled, letting out a strangled sob as she tightened her grip on his shirt.

"I don't have any idea what you are talking about, but I assure you, you will not be crazy. The hallucinations will be very real." He sighed, "Sleep, love." They didn't know when the next time she would be able to sleep undisturbed by illusions would be, she should take advantage of it, but she couldn't turn her mind off. Instead, they laid still. She thought he might have been sleeping for a small while, but his hand never stopped moving over her shoulder blades. Part of her was filled with a sick curiosity. She knew they were coming. She wanted to get it over with, the waiting killing her. Just like the curse soon would. She knew she shouldn't think like that. If she was going to survive this it was going to be nothing short of determination. She had to stay positive. All those jokes Damon made about her being sunshine Barbie needed to be true right now.

"You are right you know," Damon said and Caroline closed her eyes tighter.

"Go away," she said, "You aren't real." She refused to look at him, but she felt the weight shift on the bed, signaling that he had sat down.

"I'm not going anywhere, Blondie. You should be happy. I am agreeing with you. It might be a first," he leaned back against the headboard and crossed one leg over the other.

Caroline tried to ignore him, but his presence and the question began to nag at her. She didn't say anything. Leaning back against the pillows, she moved her arm over her eyes, attempting to shield herself from him. She didn't understand how it was possible to feel a hallucination staring at her, but Damon was, unless he was really there. _No, that's impossible._ She told herself. It was just her and Klaus in the room. Klaus. Why wasn't he saying anything? Had she spoken out loud or was this all in her head? Her next breath was ragged as the realization hit her. She could not tell the difference anymore. This is what crazy felt like. Klaus had made it fifty two years and come out the other side and she was going to lose her mind in fifteen minutes.

"Don't you want to know what you are right about?" Damon asked, pulling her out of her inner thoughts.

"No," she said. Out loud. She was sure of it, until Klaus failed to acknowledge that she said anything.

"They are going to get sick of carting you around you know? You are going to be this crazy for the rest of your life. I know I would get sick of it and I know crazy. You avoid crazy," he said, shaking his head. "Although, crazy is usually really good in bed. We know you are already a dynamo in bed. I wonder if you'll get better or worse. Care to test is out?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively as he peeled her arm away from her eyes.

"Get away from me!" she yelled, scrambling off the bed. As her back hit the wall, she realized what Klaus was telling her earlier. "You aren't real," she said, sliding down the wall and closing her eyes for a minute.

"Oh we're real, Caroline," she looked up and saw a few people standing in the room. Carter, two of her mother's deputies, and the hunter, all standing in front of her, looking down at her. Each of them was covered in blood, their injuries gurgling and oozing blood, injuries that she had inflicted. She had killed them, all four of them, and from the looks on their faces, they were completely aware they were looking at their killer.

"How many more people are you going to kill? How many is too many Caroline?" One of them asked, making her cringe inside. She hated herself for killing even one person. It was the last thing she had ever wanted to do. She buried her face in her hands as she curled into the wall, trying to turn it out.

"Caroline." She snapped her eyes open, her breath racing as she looked up at Klaus, still in bed. Dream. It had just been a dream, or a hallucination. Was there a difference. "Is it starting?" he asked her, his gaze lowering to her as he took in her sweat soaked forehead. He already knew the answer, but perhaps he was looking for something different. She just nodded and confirmed the inevitable.

"You know, if I had known you were going to be this weak when I made you, I wouldn't have bothered. I thought you had potential, but here you are, crumbling at the first sign of a hallucination," Katherine said, crossing her arms over her chest as she made her way around the bed. "You are pathetic."

Caroline ignored her, trying to focus on Klaus. If she kept her eyes on him, focused on the only thing she knew was real, maybe Katherine would go away.

"I'm not to be ignored Caroline." The hunter finally spoke up, walking into her eye line. "Do you really think I would have hurt another hunter? I was trying to leave the house and you killed me anyway. Killed me for no reason. Your mother got in the way of me finishing what I came to town to do. You killed me for no reason," he played a guilt card.

"Did you like it, Caroline?" She heard another voice say and turned to see Alaric standing there. "You told me you enjoyed the kill. Was this an exception or did you enjoy this one too? Feeling his life in your hands?"

"Stop," she croaked out, pulling the pillow over her head and curling up. There were too many people. Too many voices. It felt like a bad dream, but it was all too real. They mocked her. Told her she didn't deserve to live while others died. She felt hands on her. Klaus's hands. "Make it stop," she begged, turning her body to look at him, hoping it was really him. She couldn't tell anymore.

"It's not real. What you are experiencing isn't real. Don't interact with it, don't acknowledge them. It's not real," he told her, holding a firm grip on her shoulders as she struggled against him. She was no match for his strength, but she still tried. He could only imagine what she was seeing instead. It was worse watching her go through it than he imagined it would be, but he knew it would only get worse. He needed to find a solution. Sighing he reached into his back pocket. It wasn't what he wanted to do, but he didn't feel he had a choice. "Close your eyes, Caroline," he told her before pulling the tip of the needle off with his teeth.

"What are you-" She paused as the needle pressed into her neck. She felt a momentary burn of the vervain before everything went dark.

Klaus wasn't sure if this was more humane or not. She would not appreciate being drugged in the slightest, but it certainly kept her from hallucinating. He needed to fix this. She was experiencing hallucinations far worse than anything he remembered in the beginning. He guessed it was because she was younger, more human. She had more humanity to play on, pull at than he did. He could only speculate of course. There was no way to know what was going on inside her head and even when she was awake there wasn't much hope of her calming down enough to tell him anything useful.

He laid her down on the bed gently, checking his phone to see the time and set an alarm. If he was being generous with his estimate, he had an hour, hour and a half tops before the vervain wore off and he intended to be back here when it did. Until then, he was going to find the fix. There had to be something. He looked back at her for a moment frowning before he looked around the room one more time to check for items that could be used for harm. "I'll figure this out," he said to her sleeping form as he closed the door behind him, locking it from the outside.

"How is she?" Stefan asked as he saw Klaus immerge from the long winding hallway that led to the den. It had been hours. He wasn't sure how long it took for the hallucinations to kick in, but he knew it would not be pretty based on what Caroline had told him about Klaus's.

"They've begun. She's sleeping at the moment," he said, setting the needle down on the counter.

Stefan's eyes followed Klaus's hand to the counter top. He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, instead he set his hands on the papers sitting in front of him. "Kol and Elijah got rid of the body and Rebekah is doing damage control whatever that means," he told him before looking down at the table. "I haven't figured out much. The end of the swords act as a cypher, but as to what, I'm not sure. There isn't much reason to it that I can see."

Klaus took a step closer to the table and looked closely, the map was laid out in front of him, large enough for them to see. He turned his attention to the swords, furrowing his brow as he tried to read the Slavic etched in the metal of the sword. "The paths each have a location at the end. The correct sword tells you the correct path."

"How do we know which sword is the right one?" Stefan asked, picking up one of the swords and examining it.

"We need the witch. Get her over here as soon as possible, tell her Caroline's life is in danger, that should make her a bit more cooperative." As Stefan pulled out his phone and walked away to make the phone call, Klaus ran his fingers over the lines of the sketch, each of the paths ended with a set of coordinates written in Slavic. Nothing that helped him without knowing which one. He did not need to know the exact locations to know they were miles and, in some continents, apart. Choosing the wrong one meant a loss of time they didn't have. Time Caroline did not have. Caroline did not have fifty two years to wait for her hallucinations to cease. She would go mad or her urge to end her life would win. There were many times he had gotten away from Rebekah and Elijah and tried to end his life during his time under the curse's spell. While he could not succeed, Caroline would and he could not allow that to happen. Finding the cure was the only way to cure Caroline and as much as it pained him, he would cure her if it meant she could be okay.

Bonnie arrived quickly with the threat of Caroline's fate hanging over their heads, both Stefan and Klaus looked up as the witch walked into the room, "What do I do?" she asked, wanting to get down to business. She was not fond of Klaus to begin with, but keeping Caroline alive, regardless of how much she detested her taste in men, was still at the top of her priority list.

"Five swords. In the mark, there's a spell. The spell will tell you which sword we need to use. The sword will tell us where to go," Klaus explained, pointing her towards the mark and the table where all of the swords were located. "Do you need anything for the spell?" he asked as she looked down at it.

"No…" Bonnie said slowly as she picked up the piece of paper.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked.

"Nothing. It's not a spell." She set it down and walked over to the table. "You needed a Bennett witch, but it's not for a spell." She picked up each sword, one by one, until she reached the fourth one on the table. Once in her hand it shook violently, "This one." She dropped it as it vibrated.

Klaus picked it up and lined the handle of the sword up with the drawling of the hunter's mark, "Jeremy better hope his drawing skills are up to par. I need this to be exact." He scratched down the coordinates from the correct line.

| With or Without You |

Caroline wasn't sure what to make of things when she woke up. She was angry Klaus vervained her, but she was also glad from the break, glad it worked and she didn't have nightmares. All she wanted was for things to stop. She sat up in bed and pulled her knees to her chest, looking around the room. Things were going to change. It was only a matter of time. She felt trapped and that made things worse. She tried to close her eyes just for a moment, hoping things would get better, but the sound of the door opening drew her attention back up.

"Caroline," the voice drew her eyes to the door.

"Katherine, go away," she said, "The curse if losing it's touch if you are the worst thing it can think of."

"Caroline, it's not Katherine. It's Elena. I came to check on you. Klaus said you killed the hunter," Elena said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay? I know you are mad at me about Damon, but you are still my friend. I needed to know you were okay."

Caroline's eyes welled up as she looked at her. Her shoulders sagged as the tension released. She needed something real, she needed people she cared about. "I'm going crazy, Lena," she whimpered. "It's been a few hours and I already feel like I'm losing it. It's going to get worse."

Elena leaned in and wrapped her arms around Caroline, pulling her into a tight hug and letting her cry into her shoulder. "It's going to be okay." She rubbed her back.

"How is it going to be okay? We don't have another hunter prospect and we don't have another solution. There's nothing we can do. I'm just going to get crazier and crazier until I finally kill myself. That's exactly what's going to happen, Elena. That's what happens when you kill a hunter. The universe takes it out on you. I've killed people. I deserve this."

"Maybe it would be easier if.."

Caroline pulled back and looked at Elena, eyeing her suspiciously, "Maybe it would be easier if what?"

Elena sighed, chewing her bottom lip before looking at the blonde. "I'm just saying. You aren't _wrong_. You have killed people. People aren't supposed to live forever. Maybe it's just your time. If you don't kill yourself, Stefan and Klaus are going to have to watch you every second of every day for the rest of eternity. Do you really want that? To put that burden on them? It's a lot to ask. It would be kinder to them to just end it for them."

"You aren't real, you aren't Elena," she said, shaking her head as she crawled backwards against the headboard.

"Caroline, I'm just being realistic. You aren't dating Klaus anymore. He's just going to be babysitting you from now on. You will be another responsibility to him and we both know he doesn't do well with responsibility. He's going to leave you, or lock you in here for the rest of your life. Do you want that? And Stefan, Stefan cares about you. He won't let that happen. He will protect you until the end of the world because that's what he promised you, but what kind of life is that. He deserves to be happy."

"And you know a lot about making Stefan happy," Caroline spouted sarcastically before running her hand over her face. She was arguing with a figment of her imagination, she really was going crazy now, but Elena wasn't wrong. That was exactly what her life would be from now on.

"You know I'm right. It would be the kindest thing to do, Care. Do it for Stefan," Elena said.

"STOP!"

| With or Without You |

"STOP!" The three of them turned to look at each other when the heard the screech. Klaus hand pressed the notepad in his hand into Stefan's hands.

"Figure out where that is and make the arrangements. We're leaving when the sun goes down. I will not have her take her ring off in the sun." He made his way down the hallway to the room Caroline was locked in and paused outside the door, listening to her talk to the air. She seemed calmer than she had a few moments ago. He hoped that remained true.

"You vervained me," she said as he walked in the door. "I don't know what's real and what's not and the one thing that I'm supposed to hang on to is shoving needles in my neck," she snapped, crossing her arms. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the tears streaking her cheeks. She looked ragged and he hated it.

"I'm sorry, love, but the ends justified the means. We found the location of the cure. We're going to go to it and we're going to fix this, Caroline. I promise you," he told her, looking down at her.

She bit her lip and nodded, thankful for a moment of sanity among the hallucinations. She was scared. This was worse than anything she could have imagined. "You are real right? This isn't all in my head? Some sick karmic joke?"

"I'm real," he said, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. His hands threaded through her blond locks as he pulled her closer, trying to set her mind at ease. She leaned into his chest as he pulled away her fingers curling around the back of his shirt. "You'll be okay. The hallucinations will cease, that much I can promise you."

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Sorry there has been so much time in between updates. Beginning of the semester I suppose. This is the home stretch! We are on our way to the cure. We have a location! Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think!**


	37. Home

**Chapter Thirty-Seven – Home**

_Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone  
Where you go when you're alone  
Is where you go to rest your bones  
It's not just where you lay your head  
It's not just where you make your bed  
As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?_

"Caroline.." She didn't want to look up. She knew that voice. Knew it well. Knew it from the moment she was born and if she looked up, she was going to break. She coiled further into the chair she was sitting in, her legs pulled into her chest as she buried her face in her arms. She hoped if she just ignored the voice it would go away but she knew she could not be that lucky. Nothing would go away until she was broken.

"Caroline please just talk to me. Look at me," Liz said again and Caroline felt the tears well up in her eyes.

"You are dead, you died, I watched you, you aren't here," she said, shaking her head, refusing to look up. She couldn't do this. Elena, Damon, and Alaric had been bad enough, but this was worse. Far worse. The room was beginning to suffocate her, make her feel trapped. She was trapped, but Klaus had explained how it was for her own good. She could not hurt herself in here, but it was making things worse. She was going crazier being locked in. The room seemed to get smaller every time she looked around it, but the addition of her mother made it worse.

"Caroline," she felt a hand on her shoulder and knew it was her father's, causing another sob to escape her lips. She climbed from the chair and moved away from her parents, stumbling back towards the door. She tried to break it down with no luck, reinforced.

"Let me out," she whimpered, hoping someone was on the other side of the door. "Please. I can't be in here anymore," she said pitifully.

No one answered. She was left here. Maybe Elena was right. Klaus and Stefan were just going to leave her locked in here for the rest of her life. Never let her out. She was a threat after all. Crazy. She was going to be stuck in here, starving and exsanguinating until the earth spun into the sun. That thought sent a chill down her spine.

Her fingers clawed at the door until they bloodied to the bone, healing only moments later. Her breath quickening. "Please let me out," she yelled, but still no one answered. She was done for. Her breaths growing quicker to the point of hyperventilation, making her sink back to the ground next to the door. Her mind started running a million miles a minute, completely ignoring the fact that both of her dead parents were standing to one side of the room, watching everything she did. The panic rose in her, the feeling that her throat was closing and she couldn't breathe came on quickly and she began to frantically search the room for the blood bags Klaus had brought in earlier. She needed to drink. She needed something. Calm her nerves, perhaps.

When she found them and devoured them, all five, the blood dripping from her lips as she dropped the last empty bag. She would need to survive somehow if she was going to be locked in this room forever. Survive until she could find a way out. Would Klaus bring her more blood or would he leave her? How long until he forgot about her completely? Moved on with someone else? The heavy feeling in her chest came back with vengeance as she turned back towards her parents and heard them both gasp.

"She's a monster, Bill," Liz said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"We didn't raise you to be this, Caroline. We raised you better than this," Bill enforced, looking at her with hardened eyes.

Caroline wiped her mouth with the back of her hand frantically, trying to wipe away and hide the blood from them. She willed her face back to normal as her eyes welled up with tears again, but she was too upset to calm down properly. "You already knew I was a vampire," she croaked out. "You accepted me, you knew it wasn't my fault." Her words came out in whimpers as she sat back down on the bench at the end of the bed. "You said loved me no matter what," she echoed the words they had once told her back at them.

"This was never in the realm of possibilities when you were a child, Caroline," Bill shook his head, the look on his face one of pure disgust. "When we told you that you could be anything you wanted when you grew up, this was never in the cards for you. We wanted you to get married and have children. Achieve things. You are a vampire. Nothing about this is okay."

"I'm not a monster. I don't kill people. I'm still your little girl," she said, trying to implore them to change their minds about her.

"You did kill someone, Caroline. That's why we're here. You killed someone and you have to be punished. That's what happens," Liz told her firmly. Caroline could see the tears in her eyes as she looked at Caroline.

"I didn't have a choice. I'm trying. I'm trying so hard. I'm always trying to be better," she cried, her knees moved up, pulling them to her chest as their eyes burned holes in her.

"But, sweetie, it's not enough. You will always be a monster. You can't be fixed, you'll never be okay again," Bill said. "You aren't trying. You are in love with a monster and you are a monster. I don't know how you could possibly think that means you are trying."

"That's not true!" she yelled, her tears making her voice break.

"You are going to kill again, Caroline. It's your nature now. You can't help yourself. You crave it," Liz walked closer, sitting down next to her on the bench. Caroline flinched away from the touch as the woman wrapped her arm around her. "But there's another way."

Bill walked over and sat down on the other side of her, sandwiching Caroline between the two of them. His demeanor changed as he reached up to wipe away some of the blood that Caroline had missed. It was beginning to dry in place on her cheek, letting it fall away in specks. "If you choose to live, it will continue. You'll always be a killer, but if you die you can spare the world."

"I know you want to be good, Care," Liz spared her a smile, hugging her only daughter tighter. "You just have to end it. You can come home with us. We can be a family again. I know you would like that. It's what you've always wanted isn't it? Us to be a family again. You just have to kill yourself."

"It's the only way, Sweetie," Bill told her as she broke away from him.

"I don't want to die," she whimpered, looking down at the two of them. "I'm not a monster, I'm an eighteen year old girl. I'm your daughter!" She yelled, flinging a chair across the room to where they had been sitting moments ago, but were now absent. She looked around the room in shock for a moment. They were gone. She was alone again. Alone. She took a breath of relief, wondering how long it would take for the next ghost of her past to show up. How long would she be alone?

| With or Without You |

Klaus sighed, his shoulders shuddering as he heard her bang on the door, clawing at it and calling out. She was calling out to him and he had no choice but to ignore it. He pretended he didn't hear the panic in her voice. Closed his eyes as he heard her side of the argument with her parents.

It would have been insightful if it wasn't so devastating. These were the things she really thought about herself down deep in her subconscious. That she was a monster. That she wasn't good enough. It didn't matter how much he tried to reinforce the opposite. It was clear she wouldn't believe them. Her parents did not accept her. No one ever really accepted her as far as she was concerned.

He flinched when he heard the chair break against the wall, silently deciding whether or not he should go in the room. Then he heard it. It was a thud followed by the overflow of tears and gasps for breath she couldn't hold in. The breakdown she had been fighting for hours now had finally come with vengeance. The mental image of her curled up in bed, her tiny body racked with sobs as she begged for it all to stop was too much for him. He tried to shake it from his head, but it was implanted there and he had no intention of finding out if he imagined it correctly. He ran his hand over his face, trying not to think about it. He knew the torment of one's own mind. Granted his was a much darker place than most, Caroline's seemed to be relishing in the torture just as his had.

"Hey, I have the location. You are never going to believe where this thing is," Stefan said as he walked into the hallway where Klaus was currently seated. He took in the man's worn appearance. It looked almost as if he was the one going through the curse, if he had not known better. He was lost in thought when Stefan walked into the hallway, as evident by the dazed look on his face.

The original hybrid looked up at him and pushed himself up from the chair, "Close enough to get to before daybreak, I hope," he inquired pessimistically.

"You could say that." Stefan led Klaus down the hallway back to the living room where Bonnie and Rebekah were standing uncomfortably next to each other. Kol, Elijah, and Katherine were seated opposite them.

"How is Caroline, Niklaus?" Elijah asked, his hands folded neatly in his lap as he looked up at Klaus with a look of genuine concern and worry. In his short time back in Mystic Falls, it had become abundantly clear that his brother needed Caroline and her influence in his life. He had seen his brother content for the first time in centuries; he did not want him to lose that. He had come to know Caroline in the last few months, she was a sweet girl, the light to Klaus's dark. She certainly did not deserve the hell she was going through now.

Klaus looked at each of those seated in the room; Elijah and Rebekah's faces were both etched with worry, Kol even seemed moderately concerned, something he never thought he would see. Even Katherine had the good sense to keep quiet and not say a word during this time. It was clear the impact Caroline had on them. "Not well," he said solemnly as he turned to Stefan and Bonnie who were standing over a map and a notepad full of pen scratches. "You have a sense of where it is?"

"It's in Mystic Falls," Stefan said.

"In the tunnels under the forest. The witch who made it had a sense of humor it appears," Bonnie added, showing him where on the map the cure was located. "There's a boundary spell in place to keep vampires out, but I know I can take it down."

"I'll go get Caroline." Stefan walked out of the room, heading for the small hallway that led to her anti-suicide room. He stood there for a moment, listening for noises before he entered, hearing her sobs from the other side of the door. "Caroline?" he said gently as he entered the room, watching as her head popped up. He didn't want to scare her and make things worse.

"Stefan?" she asked, eyeing him skeptically through her tears. She didn't know if it was really him or not and that made her feel worse. He was her best friend and she couldn't even tell him apart from a hallucination.

"It's okay. It's me," he said, taking another step towards her.

"That's what they all say," she mumbled under her breath as she sniffled, dragging herself up into a sitting position.

"We found the cure. We're going to go to it now, okay?" he spoke to her like she was a child and part of her hated him for it, but part of her knew it was necessary.

He reached his hand out to her and she took it, letting him pull her out of bed and wrap his arm around her firmly. "Everything is going to be okay, Care. We're going to fix this. It's all going to go away soon," he reassured her, ushering her out of the room and towards everyone else.

"You really think you fit in here, Blondie," Damon asked, cropping back up next to her. She cringed, curling further into Stefan's body as she tried to ignore him. "You don't. Let me tell you how this is going to go. Even with the cure, Elijah and Katherine are going to leave when this is done. Go back to their life on an island somewhere far away from Klaus. He was staying away for a reason. He's only here because Rebekah and Kol are. Kol is going to do something idiotic and get himself daggered, probably try something dumb with you because he just can't help himself. Rebekah is going to get angry and leave, dragging Stefan with her. Then it's just going to be you and Klaus and how long will that last? He keeps you around because you brought his family together. When you can't do that anymore, what's he going to do? He's going to drop your ass faster than vervain. This isn't going to end well for you. You might as well just end it now and save us all-"

"Shut up!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. She recoiled back into Stefan's arm as everyone stared at her.

"Come on, love, let's go," Klaus spoke motioning for Stefan to follow him as he headed towards the door.

Stefan held Caroline closer to his side as he walked towards the door, Rebekah just behind him as everyone else finally began to move. It was comforting being held close by someone who was real. It felt real. The other hugs, the ones from her parents and Elena, had felt hallow. This was firm and real. She knew he was only keeping her close, keeping her from trying anything stupid, but she couldn't help relaxing into it. Stefan's arms were safe. He was her protector.

The drive to the woods was silent. No one said anything, each one silently considering what having a cure meant to any of them. Helping Caroline was a given, but it went further than that. What would they do with it? Each silently contemplated their own fates given the circumstances, what being human could mean for them, if they wanted it. They were all silent in contemplation as Bonnie lowered the boundary spell and they all walked into the cavernous room. Bonnie was the first to find the box, setting it down in the center of the room as each of them looked at her, waiting for her to open the box as Caroline and Stefan stood near the entrance.

When it opened, Klaus emitted a growl, his veins rippling with anger. The frustration and annoyance was evident on all of their faces. Each wore a disappointed look, but none more than Klaus. He picked up the box and launched it at the wall, the contents spilling near the entrance. "This is a joke, a sick joke," he screamed, the veins under his yellow eyes rippling. "I did everything I was supposed to do." The others shuttered as his rage escaped.

"It'll be okay, Care. We'll figure something else out," Stefan said, running his hand along her shoulder. "You know I'll always protect you," Stefan tried to soothe her. "I'm always going to be here. I made a promise to you."

Caroline looked down at what had come out of the cure box. It was a joke, a sick and cruel joke played on them all. There was no salvation for any of them, no magical cure all. Stefan was speaking the truth and that realization cut her deeply. Elena's words rang through her head, Stefan would protect her forever and what kind of life was that. He needed to be free. Free of her and her curse. He needed to be happy. He needed to be free of her. She was a force in his life, he was always saving her, fixing her mistakes. It was too much responsibility and she needed to absolve him of it.

"A Stake! A bloody stake! That's the cure of vampirism? Death," Klaus seethed. "I'm sure the witches had a laugh at this one. We would chase the cure to the end of the earth only to see it was a death sentence." Death was the only way to escape this life. His hand cut across the stone of the cave, causing it to crack under the pressure. The one time in his life he had been selfless and it had ended badly. He had put all about his plans for hybrids on hold the moment he realized the cure could be used to help Caroline and it did not make a difference. She was still cursed.

"We'll figure something else out, Klaus. There has to be another way," Stefan said.

"What? What is the other solution?" Klaus spat angrily.

Caroline watched them argue. They were arguing because of her. The pain in her chest grew worse as the others tried to stop them. She could stop this; she could put an end to this all. Everyone was right. She was the problem. Her eyes fell upon the stake that had fallen to the ground when Klaus threw the box. It wasn't pretty but it was a means to an end. An end they all desperately needed. It only took a moment for her to reach down and grab it, plunging it through her chest. She emitted a groan as the pain spread through her body. Her mouth hung open as she dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry," she whispered the tears rolling from her eyes down her greying face as she dropped to the ground.

**Author's Note: Don't hit me?**


	38. Dreaming With A Broken Heart

**Chapter Thirty-Eight – Dreaming With a Broken Heart**

_When you're dreaming with a broken heart  
the giving up is the hardest part  
She takes you in with her crying eyes  
then all at once you have to say goodbye  
Wondering was she really here?  
Is she standing in my room?  
No she's not, 'cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone…_

"This is a joke, a sick joke!" Klaus screamed, sending the antique box flying across the cave and shattering against the wall. The pieces if the box scattered to the floor along with the stake, falling at Caroline and Stefan's feet. "I did everything I was supposed to. Everything I was told!" His fist crashed into the wall behind him as the other flinched in the wake of his rage. He didn't care. This was his chance. His only chance of fixing Caroline and it was a complete and utter failure. He could not help her now. Not without another hunter potential and there was no telling how long that would take.

He looked back at her for a moment. Her expression was neutral and numb, eyes glazed over. He wondered what she was thinking about. Was she worried about her future? Was he angry with her? Did she feel like he had let her down? This was the one thing he had promised her. He would fix this and he did not know how. There was no plan b. He wanted to roll his eyes at Stefan's promises. Empty, each and every one of them. They had no way of fixing this. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he was not sure he could face her right now. He could not tell her that he didn't know what to do next. He couldn't tell her he didn't know how to fix things.

"Nik, it's-"

"It's a stake! A bloody stake! That's the cure of vampirism? Death," Klaus seethed, his whole body clenching as stood there. "I'm sure the witches had a laugh at this one. We would chase the cure to the end of the earth only to see it was a death sentence." His voice gave way. He hid the crack well, shaking his head as he took another swipe at the cave wall. The stone cracking under the pressure of his hands. It crumbled to dust under his fingertips.

"We'll figure something else out, Klaus. There has to be another way," Stefan said, looking over at him. He took a step towards him, trying to try to get him to calm down. He had not given up yet. They would fix Caroline.

"What? What is the other solution?" Klaus spat angrily. Taking a step towards him and towering over him in angry. There was no other solution. Not in the immediate future.

"I'm sorry," he heard Caroline whimper and his head jerked in that direction.

"Caroline," he muttered, making his way over to her. He caught her as her body as she fell. His own legs giving way as he looked down at the tears running down her greyed face. As his knees hit the stone ground. His chest tightened, finding it impossible to find breath. He felt like all of the air had been sucked from the room. His world turned to grey just like Caroline's body. "Don't do this, Caroline."

No one else in the room said a word. They didn't dare interrupt the silence that the room had fallen into. Stefan stood over to the side, looking down at the scene. The tears were on his cheeks. Silent, yet free flowing. He had failed. It was his only job and he had failed to keep her safe, failed to protect her. She was like his little sister and here she was, lying dead on the ground and there was nothing he could do. He could not go back in time and fix it, he couldn't bring her back. She was gone.

Rebekah made her way over to him, setting her hand on his shoulder as she tried to comfort him. She did not dare touch her brother. Not in this state. He was volatile on a good day, but it was clear this was worse. He was lost. She had never seen him quite so gone. He was void. Void of everything. She had always been able to read him. Tell what he was thinking just by looking at him, but she couldn't see anything right now. He was paler than normal if possible.

"We're going to give you a moment, Niklaus," Elijah said solemnly, herding his siblings Stefan and Bonnie out of the room as Katherine followed beside him. He knew his brother well enough to know that he needed time right now.

As they all left him alone, he shifted to the ground, resting Caroline's head in his lap as he looked down at her. There weren't tears. He didn't know if he could cry. It was worse than anything he could ever imagine. He had lost the only thing that had ever mattered to him more than the hybrids. More than anything. His hand smoothed over her blonde curls, they seemed flat in death, lacking their normal luster. She was beautiful, even in death.

Death. She was gone. His hand reached into his pocket, feeling the weight of her gift in his hand. His fingers toyed with it, opening the face of it and closing. He found a rhythm, trying to distract himself from the fact that she was dead. He could only think of solutions. No solutions that would work. No witch would agree to bring her back. Not for him. They wouldn't find him worthy of his love. They wouldn't believe someone as good as Caroline would be with someone as demonic as him. All he could do was sit. All he had left was a grey body and a pocket watch. A pocket watch he still didn't understand. Caroline had been so careful with her other gift. He clicked the button to open and close it, repeatedly, until it finally popped open twice, emitting a small glow. Inscribed on the inside in words that could only be Caroline's, '_For when you need a light of your own'_. And that was his breaking point.

"Why are you doing this?" he said softly, looking down at her. "Haunting me. It's going to be like this forever. Always going to be wondering if that blonde hair is you. Your laugh in the air. I've taunted my brother about his pre-disposition to fall for every doppelganger that came along, but maybe he had the right idea. If something happens to one, wait enough time and another one comes along. Another Caroline Forbes is not going to waltz into my life."

He gave a dark chuckle, looking at her. "I promised nothing would happen to you. I promised you do much. Broken promises are a specialty of mine. I'm sure Rebekah can attest to that."

He sat there for what seemed like hours, her head cradled into his chest. His mind unable to compute a world without Caroline in it. She changed everything when she walked into his life. Turned everything upside down. "I need you, Caroline."

| With or Without You |

Stefan closed his eyes tightly, hoping this was all a horrible dream he would wake up from, but it was real and it ripped him apart. He wiped his face with the back of his hand. The tears turning his eyes dark as he sat on the ground outside the cave. Rebekah was seated next to him, but they hadn't spoken in hours.

"Maybe we should…" Rebekah trailed off when she realized she didn't know how to finish the thought.

"What?" Stefan asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's no one to inform. Her whole family is dead. No one has lost more than Caroline because of the supernatural and now it's taken her too. It shouldn't have been her. All she ever does is try. She makes us all better and now she's gone. Just like that. There was no goodbye. No closure. Nothing. She's just gone and I lost my best friend."

"There's nothing you could have done, Stefan. There's no stopping the hunter's cure without finding a new hunter. We were lucky with Jeremy. We wouldn't get that lucky again. It would have taken us years, decades even. She wasn't indestructible like Nik. It would have only been a matter of time."

"That doesn't make it better, Bekah. She didn't deserve this." He rested his head in his hands. "I promised her. I promised her I would never let anything happen to her. I stood in a bathroom the night she turned, looked her in the eye, and promised she would be safe and I would facilitate that. Do you know where I was when she died? She was standing right next to me and I didn't stop her. She's my best friend and I was standing next to her when she died." He didn't fight her as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her as they sat against the cave wall.

"You didn't know she was going to go for the stake, Stefan. You are raking yourself over the coals for something that you couldn't control." She ran her hand over his back, "What can I do?"

"I don't think there's anything to do. Kol took Bonnie went to tell Damon and Elena. Without Liz to falsify documents, we'll have to produce a body or compel someone. Her cause of death isn't exactly explainable." He ran his hand through his hair. He was trying to be practical, but he could not think about anything aside from the fact that his best friend was gone.

Rebekah leaned in and pressed her lips to his softly, wordlessly reassuring him that they would get through this together. "We should check on Nik."

Rebekah walked through the cave opening slowly. Her steps tentative as she watched her brother closely, waiting for any kind of reaction from him. He was still seated in the same position she had left him in, Caroline's body still cradled to his chest. His eyes were closed as his head reclined again the cave wall. If she had not known better, she would have thought he had died as well, so still as he sat there even when their footsteps alerted him to their presence. He was lost in through, that much she could tell. Lost in a place far from here. She knew her brother well. She knew he had already run all of the possibilities in his head. Ways to bring her back that did not exist.

"Nik," she started. His eyes opened slowly, the expression on his face blank. She had never seen him like this before. HE had been sad before, devastated and broken, but this was different. Stefan remained a small distance away as Rebekah approached her brother. She had once been his comforter, but that torch had been passed to Caroline long ago and she didn't know how to get it back. Crouching down next to him, she set her hand on his shoulder. "We should take her home, Nik. She should not be in this cave. There are things to be done now."

"What things, Rebekah? Putting her in a box? Lowering her into the ground? Burying her?" he asked. His jaw tightened but he could not find it in himself to raise his voice.

"Not necess-"

"Then what? Funeral fire? Put her out to sea? All of those put her even further away from where she belongs," he snapped before looking down at her. He tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. She was exactly where she belonged as far as he was concerned. With him, in his arms. She was strikingly beautiful, even grey. It killed him that this was the only way he would see her now.

"She's gone," Rebekah said harshly, trying to snap some sense into him. She softened significantly when she saw his face crumble at the insinuation. Her hand grazed his shoulder once again in a comforting motion. "She's gone, Nik, and we can't bring her back. I know you love her, but we can't sit in this cave forever. Let's take her body home. You can decide what to do or what not to do from there."

Reluctantly, he nodded. Stefan pushed away from the wall he was leaned against and walked over to the two of them. Rebekah reached her hand down to help her brother from the ground, but he rejected it, standing up of his own accord. He looked down at Caroline one more time and reached down to pull the stake from her chest. Unable to look at it any longer, though he was not sure the site of her bloody wound was better. He lifted Caroline into his arms. Her blonde hair hung limply over his arm as he adjusted her against his chest.

The three of them walked of the cave where Elijah stood next to the SUV. He slipped behind the driver's seat while Stefan, Rebekah, and Klaus climbed into the car. Silence engulfed the car once more and no one dared to pop the bubble. It was the only thing holding most of them together. The thin line keeping Klaus from killing the entire town in an attempt to feel anything. It was still in consideration. The only thought that stopped him was how much it would upset Caroline, but that didn't matter anymore. She wasn't there.

That's when he felt it, he looked down and watched as a small trail of blood began down his arm, the arm that held Caroline's body against his own. He shifted to look down at her, the sudden movement making Stefan and Rebekah do the same.

"She's healing," Stefan said, a smile taking over his face as he looked down at her chest. The hole where the stake had been beginning to close. He moved closer to her, her legs draping over his lap as he and Klaus looked over at her. The bleeding stopped as her perfect skin healed. The color slowly returned to her, her skin turning back to it's normal pink flush. "Caroline," Stefan said hopefully, trying to get a reaction out of her.

It took a few moments more, but Caroline's eyes opened as she gasped for breath. She coughed up blood for a moment as she tried to get the breath that seemed to allude her.

"Caroline," Klaus said, shifting her on her side in hopes that she would be able to breath better than on her back.

"Water.." she requested through coughs. Rebekah produced a bottle from the front seat ad Caroline gulped it down as if she had been wandering through the desert for weeks. As soon as she was finished, she finally took a normal breath as Klaus crushed her into his chest. "Can't breathe," she said as he loosened his grip.

Silence fell over the SUV as the realization hit them all at once. In the silence, they all heard it. A heartbeat.

**Author's Note: Hi! I hope this makes up for the last chapter. Many of you guessed right, though I may have refused to comment to some of you when you guessed correctly. I couldn't possibly kill Caroline! Klaus needs her too much. I hope you guys enjoy the update. There's only a few chapters left now. You guys have been amazing through this whole thing. Reviews and support. Please keep it up until the end. **


	39. With or Without You

**Chapter Thirty-Nine – With or Without You**

_Through the storm we reach the shore  
You give it all but I want more  
And I'm waiting for you  
With or without you  
I can't live with or without you_

It took Caroline a full five minutes of silence to realize what they were so scared about. She looked from each of their confused and startled faces, before beginning to cough again. It felt strange, the air trying to force its way out of her lungs and the blood. Blood? Through the coughing, her hand found her chest and there it was. Her heart was beating for the first time in months and it felt so foreign. It should have been natural, hearts are supposed to beat, but the idea of her heart beating in her chest after a year of disuse was mind blowing. "I'm human," the words fell from her lips like weights. She was human. Heartbeat, blood pumping through her veins, and oxygen in her lungs, it was hard to wrap her head around.

The car was silent as the words sunk in with everyone. The cure for vampirism was not only real but it worked, Caroline was now living proof of that fact. Irrefutable. Each of them were handling the news differently. Klaus simply wasn't. He had not yet relinquished Caroline from his hold. His arms still wrapped securely around her as if she would die again if he let her go. He had not yet said a word, only pressed his lips to her temple once and continued to hold her.

Stefan and Rebekah's reactions were different. Neither of them could stop thinking about it. The possibilities. What a cure meant for all of them, what Caroline being human meant. Stefan knew it was all she had wanted a year ago. To just be again. To not be the monster she thought she was, but being with someone for eternity could change that. He wasn't quite sure what that meant for them now. What this would mean for Caroline.

And then there was Elijah, always practical. "Perhaps, instead of home, we should visit the hospital? She has been dead for over a year and now she's alive. I believe that warrants a check-up," he said as he glanced back at the group in the SUV, trying not to flinch when he saw the blood Caroline had coughed, now staining his seat.

"What are you talking about?" Rebekah asked, joining Klaus's incredulous expression. Both of the blonde Mikaelson's looked at their older brother like he was crazy.

"No," Stefan shook his head, "Elijah's right. She needs to be looked at by a doctor. No one, to my knowledge, has ever turned back. We don't know what a year of being a vampire has done to her human body." He climbed out of the car when Elijah put it to a stop and walked around to help Caroline out. Klaus gathered her up in his arms as they walked into the emergency room. He compelled a doctor to take her in immediately and run the tests as quickly as possible. If Elijah thought she should be checked out, then she would be. He would allow them to run every test on her, ensure that he would not lose her again.

He emitted a small growl when the doctor told him he couldn't go back with her, but Elijah grasped his arm, forcing him back into one of the chairs in the waiting room. It was exactly the type of place he hated. Too friendly. Too cheerful. They were making him wait far too long to see her. It was taking every bit of restraint he had, which was not a lot to begin with, to keep from seeking her out. Every time he began to get up, Elijah reminded him that the more he badgered the doctors, the longer things would take and Caroline's health was the most important factor at the moment.

Unfortunately, his impatience knew no bounds. The five minutes he had spent with her since she had come back to life was not enough. Each moment she was out of his sight, her fate was out of his control, was agonizing and the hours it took for them to run each test were unbearable. She was human. It had not quite sunk in yet, but his mind was already filling with thoughts of how this would affect things. She was so fragile, he could break her in a moment. He had enemies. People who wouldn't hesitate to hurt her to get to him. There wasn't much question in his mind what he would do. Turning her back was the only solution. He needed her to be strong and immortal. He needed her to be indestructible. Most importantly, he needed her to be alive.

All four of them looked up when the doors swung open; an orderly appeared pushing a chipper Caroline in a wheelchair, closely followed by the doctor that Klaus had compelled earlier. Her messy blond curls were tugged back in a bun and her clothes were still disheveled and coved in blood, but she appeared otherwise unharmed.

"I told you, I don't need a wheelchair," she complained to the two men as they pushed her over to where Stefan sat with the three originals.

"It's hospital policy, Ms. Forbes," the orderly told her.

"And I'm already beginning to miss compulsion," she mumbled under her breath, earning a smirk from Stefan. And just like that his best friend was back. His snarky little sister and he wasn't sure he had ever been so happy about something. He had no intention of breaking his promise to protect her this time.

"What was that, Caroline?" the doctor asked.

"Nothing," she shook her head. "Can I go home now?"

"I think that's a question we would all like to know," Elijah said, taking in the less than patient look on his younger brother's face as a sign that he would like to get a move on things.

"Yes, you can go home," the doctor said, looking down at her. "Your tests did not reveal anything to be alarmed about, but you may be experiencing a slight case of malnutrition. Try to balance your diet a bit better and get some rests."

"So that's it, just eat my vegetables and get some sleep?" she asked, thankful that was the only prognosis.

"Those are the doctor's orders," he said with a smile as he patted her shoulder.

"Great." She stood up from the wheel chair, her legs a bit shaky underneath her. Klaus was off his feet at nearly inhuman speed to wrap his arm around her and steady her. She wanted to tell him she was human, not an invalid, but she probably would have fallen if he had not steadied her. She was used to moving differently. She may have only been a vampire for a year, but she was more than used to moving with grace and steadiness. She had almost forgotten how clumsy she had been before her transformation.

"Let's get you home. We have a lot to discuss," Klaus said, turning her towards the door and heading outside with her. She leaned into him, letting him hold her close.

"Can we go back to my house? You don't have food in yours, real food anyway, I kind of need it. I haven't eaten in like a year," she said, making a failed attempt at a joke. His mouth stayed in a tight line as he nodded. He looked her over once more, as if he didn't believe she was really okay. Perhaps he had not yet processed her mortality.

Elijah dropped the two of them off at Caroline's home, giving them some time alone to discuss the many things that needed to be discussed. "I'm going to go shower," Caroline told him as they walked into the home.

"I thought you were hungry?" Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"I am, but I'm also covered in my own blood and other people's blood. I think a shower is in order. Then I can order take out or something," she told him, stepping out of the boots she had been wearing before and heading towards the stair. She paused on the first step, turning back to look at him. "You could always join me?" she gave him a coquettish smile, hoping to entice him into joining her.

He shook his head, keeping his face neutral. "I'll just wait here."

Her brows knitted together, trying to figure him out. He had never turned down sex before. In her experience, he was always more than ready to go. Granted this was not the most appropriate time, but Caroline had never exactly been appropriate. She just wanted to feel close to him, but part of her wondered if it was because she was now human.

He recognized her confusion and sighed, walking across the room towards her. "I don't think that's wise, love. You are human, human and fragile. I could break you like a twig, literally tear you in half."

"You aren't doing anything but turning me on more," Caroline said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He peeled her arms from around his neck and placed them back to her sides, "I'm serious Caroline. I could kill you with a flick of my wrist. I could drain you. There are a million ways I could end your life in the heat of the moment, it's not a risk I'm willing to take," he told her seriously.

"Are you telling me in a thousand years, you've never once had sex with a human?" she asked.

"Not one I loved." He met her eyes, "You've already died once today. Less than twelve hours ago. I will not lose you again, Caroline. I won't survive it."

Looking at him, she finally understood the concern, "You aren't going to lose me." She kissed him before she walked up the stairs to take her shower. She pulled on a pair of shorts and one of the henley's that Klaus had left on her chair, it was a bit big and hung off of her tiny frame. Walking into the kitchen, she raised an eyebrow when she saw Klaus standing at the stove with a wooden spoon in his hand. "You can cook?" she questioned, walking to the kitchen counter and taking a seat on one of the stools.

He turned back, giving her a look, "I'm over a thousand years old. Hybrid or not, you do pick up a thing or two over the centuries, love." He stirred the pasta before pulling it out with the strainer and mixing it into the sauce to finish cooking. "How are you feeling?" he asked, looking down at her with concern. His eyes racked over her once more, checking for any sign of injury.

"I'm fine," she assured him once more, crossing her legs as she leaned her elbows against the counter. "I promise. I'm human, I'm not dying."

"Yet," he said darkly, pulling a plate from the cabinet and putting the pasta on it. "But you will. That's what happens when you are human. Unless you turn back to a vampire." He set the plate in front of her, "Eat your dinner, Caroline. You need the strength."

His words caught her off guard. Dying. Caroline had not had to face her mortality in a year, which was ironic considering how many times she had nearly been killed over the previous months. She was human and she could die at any moment. She could get hit by a bus or develop a brain tumor. She had seen an episode of Grey's Anatomy where an eighteen year old had a heart attack, she knew that was possible. _Or you could die when you are old and grey surrounded by your children and grandchildren like you always wanted_, she thought. She took a deep breath and picked up the fork without commenting on what he had said. She took a bite. "This is really good, but I suppose I wouldn't expect anything less when you've had a thousand years to perfect the recipe."

"Caroline," Klaus spot, his hands pressed against the counter top.

"Maybe a little parmesan, that would make this." She twisted some of the pasta around her fork and taking another bite as she avoided his eyes.

"Caroline, enough," he said firmly. "No more of this nonsense. Eat your dinner so I can turn you back. We don't know how your control is going to be when we turn you back to your original state. Perhaps heading into the mountains to your cabin for the first few days of your transition would be beneficial," he suggested.

"What if I…" she trailed off, finding the courage to look up and meet his eyes, but losing all nerve.

"What if you what, Caroline?" His demeanor changed entirely as he saw the wheels turning in her mind. "No, absolutely not, love. Human is fragile. Human is breakable, killable. I will not lose you." His jaw clenched at the possibility. Losing her wasn't an option. He would not stand for it.

She could see the fear in his eyes. He tried to mask it with anger and rage, but she knew what he was thinking. "It's an idea, Klaus," she tried to soothe him. This wasn't a decision she planned on making alone, but she also wouldn't be bullied.

"Not a good one," he said quickly. He looked up at her, walking around the other side of the counter. Anyone else would have been scared, but Caroline didn't flinch, even as a human. It just reinforced that he couldn't lose her. "One year," he said, looking down at her. "You hate being seventeen forever. We'll wait a year. You'll be eighteen. That's what you have always wanted. Then we'll turn you back."

Caroline gave him a smile, the fact that he was willing to compromise at all said everything she needed to know about the situation. She leaned in to kiss him, her hand resting on his chest. "I appreciate the offer, but being with you means more than being eighteen," she told him, watching his expression soften, "But that doesn't mean we don't have options."

"What kind of options could you be taking about, love? There's turning you back or watching you die. There's no in between," he shook his head.

"No there isn't," Caroline agreed, looking up at him, "When I promised you forever in the cellar after you lost your hybrids, I meant it. I don't break my promises. Hybrids, no hybrids, no friends, no family, it doesn't matter, you always have me," she echoed his words back to him, "but this is another way to have what neither of us really had. A real family. That family can be with Stefan and Rebekah, Elijah and Kol. It can be all of us and it could be you and I growing old together with children, not making the same mistakes our parents made."

"So I can have you human or not at all? That's not really fair, love," he shook his head.

"I'm not giving you an ultimatum, Klaus. I'm trying to have a discussion with you. I'm won't make you do anything you don't want to do. We're equals. It's a decision we make together."

"Being human is not something I ever considered, Caroline. I'm the most powerful being in the world. I've been a vampire for over a thousand years. You can't expect me to give all of that up."

"I'm not asking you to give it up. I already said, it's not an ultimatum. It's just a decision. I'll let you turn me back right now if you are sure you don't want this. Being with you means more than being eighteen, more than being human. I'll take eighty years or I'll take an eternity. The only condition I won't budge on is being with you. It's your choice, Klaus. I'll love you either way."

**Author's Note: I hit a huge milestone in my fanfiction writing today. I woke up this morning to see that this story had reached a thousand reviews and I'm still a little bit floored that this has happened. I know I say it all the time, but my readers are awesome and I'm so thankful for each and every one of you. As this story comes to a close with the next chapter, I have to say it feels a little bittersweet. Writing this has been quite the ride. This is the fastest I've ever written anything and I'm pretty proud of how it's turned out. I hope you all are satisfied with the ending in the next chapter and I hope you stick with me for my next fic. Thank you again!**


	40. I'm In Love With A Girl

**Chapter Forty – In Love With A Girl**

_I'm in love with a girl who knows me better  
Fell for the woman just when I met her  
Took my sweet time when I was bitter  
Someone understands_

**TEN YEARS LATER**

"Hi pretty girl," Caroline cooed to the baby in her arms. The little girl made little noises as Caroline brushed a wisp of blond hair off her forehead, keeping her curls out of her blue eyes as she leaned down to kiss her. "You are perfect, you know that? I don't think there's ever been a more beautiful little girl than you. We should go see your daddy. I think I heard him come in." She smiled, standing up from the rocking chair she was seated in and heading out of the pale yellow nursery. The little girl squirmed and wiggled in her arms as she walked down the long hallway of the Parisian apartment.

"Caroline," Someone called from the bottom of the steps.

"We're coming," she said softly, running her fingers over the baby's back, "Are you getting hungry, Elizabeth?" she asked, looking down at the girl. Elizabeth smiled in response, grabbing at Caroline's earrings and trying to give them a tug. Caroline readjusted her hold on the baby, keeping her from doing anything dangerous. She walked down the steps carefully, bouncing and rocking the little girl to keep her from fussing as she walked into the kitchen. "Say hi to Daddy," she said, turning the baby towards the man standing in front of the fridge.

"How's my girl?" Stefan asked, lifting the little girl out of Caroline's capable hands. He readjusted her in his arms so he could feed her the bottle. "Thanks again for watching her, Caroline. Rebekah and I are usually pretty good at working around each other's schedules, but I got called into surgery and she couldn't get out of her meeting." He leaned in to kiss his best friend's cheek, giving her a one armed hug.

"She was perfect, no trouble at all. She never is," Caroline shook her head, reaching into her purse for a blood bag, "It's time for Aunt Caroline's lunch, too." She tickled under the little girl's chin. "We got her big brother off to school and then we went for a walk in the park. It's a great distraction. Klaus has been gone almost a week. I'm starting to go crazy alone in that great big house. I almost got desperate enough to ask Katherine to go shopping with me."

"I don't know how much more shopping you can do, between you and Bekah, I think you own everything currently for sale in Paris, not to mention a few things that aren't for sale in the city as well," he pointed out, leaning against the counter as he fed his daughter. "How was Ben?"

"You know how he is about school. He practically had me drop him off at the door. I think he would have walked there by himself if I let him. He's strangely independent for three. I don't know how you two managed that," she shook her head, taking another sip from the blood bag in her hands. "Rebekah said she would pick him up on the way home from her meeting. How is she feeling by the way?"

"Good. I think she'll be a lot happier when the baby is out and not pushing on her bladder. She pees every ten minutes. I'm pretty sure I got more sleep when Ben was teething," he said, running his hands over his eyes.

"It'll all be worth it when you are a father of three," Caroline said, running her fingers over Elizabeth's curls.

"So when does Klaus come home?" Stefan asked, turning the baby against his shoulder to burp her once she finished her bottle.

"Tonight and thank god for that. I don't know if I could go another day. I haven't gone this long without sex since 2014 when got in a fight right before your wedding. I can't handle all of this waiting. I'm a vampire, I have urges." Caroline tossed the now empty blood bag in the trash.

Stefan made a face, "I know I'm your best friend, but I really don't need to know about your sex life with my brother-in-law."

"I need to talk about it with someone. I can't talk about it with Rebekah, that's her brother. That's just gross."

"And talking to me about it isn't?"

"You are different," Caroline defended, sitting down on the kitchen counter.

"Maybe you should make better friends with Katherine, I'm sure she would love to sit around and talk about which of the Mikaelson's is the best in bed for hours," Stefan rolled his eyes before looking down at Elizabeth, "And you are far too young for this conversation. It's a good thing you don't understand what we're talking about."

"That would be me," Rebekah said as she walked in the door, holding her son's hand and walked over to kiss her husband.

"I would have to beg to differ," Caroline said as Ben ran to Stefan. "And I'm not worrying about Katherine right now. She's with Elijah. She isn't going away. I'm going to have to deal with her forever, I've come to terms with that, but it doesn't mean I have to like it."

"How was she?" Rebekah asked, picking up Elizabeth from Stefan's arms.

"She was fine, just like always. She's perfect. You are lucky I don't just sneak off with her," she said, looking down at the little thing in Rebekah's arms. "Anyways," she said, picking up her purse from the counter. "I have to go. Klaus is going to be home soon." She leaned down and scooped up her nephew, "But I'm not leaving until I get a hug from you," she tickled him until he wrapped his arms around her neck and pressed a wet kiss to her cheek.

"I love you, Aunt Caroline," Ben said.

"I love you too, buddy. Uncle Nik and I will see you this weekend." She kissed his head before setting him down on the ground. "I'll see you two later." She bid Rebekah and Stefan goodbye before walking out the door and heading back to the penthouse she and Klaus shared a few blocks away. All of the Mikaelson's had stayed close. They knew their time with Stefan and Rebekah would be short compared to their lives now that they had chosen to become human. They wanted to spend the time with them. The rest of the world could wait.

Caroline stepped inside the elevator up to the Penthouse. The very same one they had spent their first night in Paris in nearly eleven years ago. The very same one Caroline had requested they go to the day after she graduated high school. The very same one the two of them spent the first of many self-professed honeymoons in. They weren't technically married, but after five years, Klaus had told her if the thin silver band on his left hand meant that much to her, he would wear it and Caroline would start going by Mikaelson instead of Forbes. They had decided to move to Paris at Rebekah's request. It was her favorite city as well, she wanted to spend her life there. The life she finally got to live.

After she and Stefan decided they wanted to stay human, Stefan went to school and pursued the one thing he always wanted to do. He became a doctor, officially of course, he had already been to medical school a time or two before. It was the happiest Caroline had ever seen her best friend, helping people, doing what he was born to do. And the kids. Caroline wasn't sure she had ever seen anyone smile quite as big as the day Benjamin K Salvatore was born, though the day Elizabeth Caroline Salvatore was born was a close second. Caroline sobbed for an entire day when Rebekah told them she was pregnant. Sad for the one thing she gave up for her eternity, but as soon as Ben was born she got over it. She could play with her nephew any time she wanted and that was worth it.

Klaus had been another story. Being around young children was still an adjustment for him. Elizabeth was still a mystery, but Ben and Klaus had been especially close now that the boy was old enough to communicate. The nearly five year old was quite taken with his uncles stories of war and the old times, though Rebekah often made her brother censor his stories for her son's young ears.

"Caroline." The blonde vampire smiled as she heard Klaus hum her name from the entry room of the house. Ten years and he still sent chills through her body whenever her name from his lips.

"Bedroom," she spoke, letting him come find her. It took everything in her not to run to the door and jump into his arms. She was older now. More mature, she didn't do that anymore, even if sometimes she wanted to. It had been nearly a week since she had last seen him. He'd been off dealing with a werewolf problem in Bulgaria with Kol. They had heard rumblings of a possible attack on them and the brothers wanted to put an end to it before it became an issue. With Rebekah and Stefan being susceptible to human mortality, any risk that could end their lives unnaturally had to be eliminated.

Klaus walked into the master bedroom of their penthouse and set his bag down on the ground. He could have used a shower and probably a shave, but he didn't think Caroline would want to wait for him to finish those things, nor did he want to wait. A week was a long time to spend apart for them, even after ten years. He would have taken her with him, but someone had to stay back with Rebekah and Stefan, keep them safe.

He paused in the door way when he saw her sitting on the bed. "You're a sight for sore eyes," he told her with a small smirk. He peeled off his jacket, dropping it as he walked over to her. She started to stand from the bed to greet him, but he had her on her back, pressed into the mattress before she could blink, pressing kisses to her skin.

After the momentary shock wore off, Caroline slipped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his. "I really missed you," she murmured in between kisses. "Try not to be gone so long next time."

"It wasn't exactly by choice, love. The problem needed to be taken care of. It took us a spell to make sure we had them all," he told her, his hands slipping underneath the fabric of her dress as he hurried it over her head. He needed as much of her skin against his as possible. Needed to feel her.

"Fine. Just make it up to me," she said, her lips curling in a smirk as she looked up to him. It took him exactly two seconds to unzip his jeans and tear away the thin layer of lace separating them, burying himself within her.

Caroline cried out, not expecting his motion. Her body stretched around him, holding him tightly as he began to move, rocking his hips into her. His movements are frantic and desperate. After a week apart, both of them were desperate for each other. Her nails left deep red lines on his back, her back arching off the bed as he filled her completely. In his haste, he tore the bra from her body, lowering his mouth to her breast as she returned the favor and rid him of his shirt.

"Oh God," Caroline breathed as her body began to tense. She could feel the wave building, how close she was. Klaus was right there with her, this was not meant to last. It was frantic and needful, the first of many that would come that evening. Her body shook as he crashed into her once more, letting out a loud cry.

A moment later they were body lying against the bed, glistening with a thin layer of sweat. Once he regained his breath, Klaus helped her out of bed and pulled her into the shower he was desperate for.

"How were things here while I was gone?" he asked, running his hand over his blond curls as he stood under the stream of water.

"They were fine. I watched Benjamin and Elizabeth today when Stefan was called into work. Emergency with one of his patients. I think he said a little boy swallowed some magnets. Ben wanted to know when you were coming home so you could finish your story about the Trojan War. I swear that kid is going to know more about history then his teacher when he starts Kindergarten in the fall," she told him with a laugh, noticing as Klaus's lips curled into a smile at the mention of the boy.

"The boy has good taste. My war stories are far more interesting than the things in the books that you read him."

"They are books for children. He is four. That qualifies him for childhood," she pointed out, shaking her head. "Rebekah is doing well. She looks like she's about to pop. I can't believe they are going to have three. It's kind of crazy. I'm sure they can handle it though. If not, I'm always here to help. They know that."

Klaus paused, listening to Caroline ramble about his sister's pregnancy and helping with his niece and nephew. He studied her face before the question he often asked her escaped his lips. "Do you regret it, love?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up at him. "Never. Not when forever actually means something."

**Author's Note: Well this is. This is the end. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The two and a half months I spent writing this have been amazing and I'm so thankful for all of the positive feedback I've received from you all. I want to thank everyone who helped with this fic, betaing, helping me sort through plot holes and fix contradictions. I'm really sad to see this end but I'm really proud of it. Thanks again for reading and please let me know what you think. **

**I'll be posting an alternative ending as well, one where Klaus has taken the cure and decided to become human because Kasey (who I love very dearly) is making me. So if anyone was bummed out that they didn't take the cure (which I felt unrealistic for Klaus's character) there is another ending that will satisfy that need.**


	41. Dreams (Alternative Ending)

**A/N: I just want to clarify that this is an ALTERNATIVE ending. This is not the official ending to the story. This is shorter than most the other chapters but I hope you like it. **

**Chapter Forty (Part B) – Dream**

_Now I'm old and feeling grey.  
I don't know what's left to say  
About this life I'm willing to leave.  
I've lived it full and I lived it well,  
There's many tales I've lived to tell  
I'm ready now._

**TEN YEARS LATER**

Caroline sat up slowly, swinging her legs off the edge of the bed and slowly pushing her unbalanced frame up from the bed. She tried to move as quietly as she could, not wanting to wake her husband and son as she woke up for what was probably the fifth time that evening. She walked, or waddled rather, slowly out of the bedroom hoping the floorboards or the steps didn't squeak under her feet as she walked down to the kitchen. Cravings kept her up most nights, and if it wasn't the cravings, she was probably peeing. She felt like she did that thirty times every night and that was not an exaggeration.

Her hand ran over her growing bump as she stood in front of the fridge in search of whatever it was she was craving. Sometimes she forgot what she wanted by the time she got downstairs and settled for whatever looked good, but this time she had not. She pulled out a carton of milk before reaching into the cabinet for a box of cinnamon toast crunch, or Toasts a la cannelle crise, as it was called here in Paris. She poured out a bowl of cereal and added the milk. Then she reached for the nutella.

Stefan was always teasing her about it. He said she should have bought stock in it because between this pregnancy and her first, she had single handedly kept the company well into the black. Her body always seemed to want it, even when she wasn't pregnant. She uncapped it and drizzled it over her cereal, licking her lips in anticipation before pulling a spoon from the drawer.

"What is it this time?" She turned and saw Klaus standing in the kitchen doorway. His eyes hooded with exhaustion and his blond curls messy and matted with sleep as he walked towards her, the pair of sweat pants he wore to bed, hanging on his hips. Even half asleep he still managed to look incredibly sexy and Caroline was more than appreciative.

"Cereal and nutella," she said before dipping her spoon into it and taking a bite. Her hand still ran tentatively over her bump, trying to soothe her daughter.

"Did it wake you up?" he asked, choosing not to finish the sentence as he reached for his own spoon. It was rare her cravings looked appealing on any level to him, but it was late and he was up and hungry. He didn't understand how a craving for food could wake someone up, but Caroline and Rebekah had drilled it into his head how possible that was.

"No, she won't settle down. I've been up for a little while. I think she's doing cartwheels or somersaults in there. Practicing the can-can or something equally ridiculous. Either way, I was up and then I got hungry. I tried not to wake you, but I suppose it's hard not to feel a humpback whale getting out of bed."

He began to chuckle before realizing that was the absolute worst thing he could do and played it off as a cough. "You didn't wake me, love. Much like his younger sister, I fear Henrik is dreaming about a soccer match. Kicked me in the back then went back to sleep. I noticed you were not in bed and wanted to check on you," he said, taking her hands and easing her back into one of the chairs at the table before bringing her bowl over to her. "And you are not a whale, you are beautiful." He kissed her cheek before sitting down next to her and taking another bite of her concoction.

"We really should get him in his own bed one of these nights, or at least get him to stop sleeping between us. I miss your arms being around me when I wake up."

"The nightmares will pass eventually."

Fatherhood was still new to him. He didn't exactly have the best example of what a father should be, but just as Caroline had told him ten years ago, they would not repeat their father's mistakes. A thousand years had not prepared him for a pregnant wife. Luckily, Stefan and Rebekah had gotten pregnant before Caroline and he had gotten to watch the things Stefan did for his sister. Caroline had been a ball of emotions the first few months. It was something she had always wanted and never thought she would get. She read every book on the subject of pregnancy and insisted on calling the doctor any time she felt anything less than normal. These were typically a complete overreaction on her part, but she wasn't going to let anything ruin this.

After the months of over emotion came the worrying. Caroline would work herself into hysterics at three am panicking about how safe their child would be with all of Klaus's former enemies. Whether or not there would be any side effects to being the child of two former vampires. Whether or not their child would have a normal life with two uncles who never seemed to age. He would remind her that Kol and Elijah would not let anything happen to them or the children. He would talk her off ledge of concerns that she seemed to add to with each discussion.

By the time Caroline went into labor, he was so well-versed in calming panicking women down, the actual process went off without a hitch. Henrik Elijah Mikaelson came into the world screaming his head off, sporting his mother's eyes and his father's blond curls. They handed him to Klaus immediately and he stood in awe for a moment, wondering how something so pure and innocent had come from him when he thought all he could produce was evil. That was the moment, looking down at his newborn son, that he promised himself he would never act like his father. He would be whatever this boy and Caroline needed him to be because they both deserved it.

When Caroline told him they were having another baby, he had settled into his role as a father and a husband. It was a far cry from his days of murderous rampages and endless searches for hybrids, but it was exactly what he had always wanted but never knew how to get. A family he could call his own. People who loved him and while he always thought an army of hybrids would make him happy. He found that nothing made him happier than Caroline curling further into his chest while she slept and Henrik falling asleep on his lap.

"Where were you just now?" Caroline asked, looking up at him, easily telling that he was lost in thought.

"Just thinking about the way things were before all of this," he said, taking another bite.

"Do you ever regret it? Becoming human and being ordinary with me?" she questioned him, her eyes meeting his.

"Never."


End file.
